Is ordering a mocha from Starbucks a sin?
You could have sent the $5 overseas to feed starving children. Right?
Or. . .
is spending money on mocha just fine with God? Perhaps, even. . .godly?
These sorts of questions pepper an eyebrow-raising book titled Pure Pleasure: Why Do Christians Feel So Bad About Feeling Good? (Zondervan, Nov. 2009)
Simple pleasures like homemade chocolate cake, a round of golf, the perfect cup of coffee, your morning run – or your afternoon nap — are created by God for us to enjoy – not feel guilty about.
So says bestselling author Gary Thomas. In Pure Pleasure, Thomas urges Christians to embrace pleasure and carve out time to enjoy life because pleasure is a gift from God that points us back to him. According to Thomas, “God isn’t just our Redeemer. He is our Creator. He made us, and he made this world. So when we participate in this world as he made it, we celebrate him every bit as much as we honor him when we do things that reflect his redeeming work.”
Thomas offers an impassioned biblical defense of pleasure and explains how God delights in, and shares, the pleasure we experience when we encounter his world with thanksgiving. Everyone finds pleasure in unique ways, and whether readers delight in high thread count sheets, gourmet cooking, the scent of freshly cut flowers or finishing a crossword puzzle, Thomas says incorporating guilt-free pleasure into our lives rejuvenates and refreshes individuals and provides a stronger platform for a lifestyle of worship.
He confronts the contentious issue of the cost of pleasure and how we can balance our need for restorative pleasure with our call to be faithful stewards of God’s resources. He helps readers come to grips with the true costs of that daily latte or expensive vacation – not necessarily that those things are sinful, but how they affect one’s spiritual life.
“I’m asking you – no, pleading with you – to embrace pleasure with sophistication. Pleasure is a gift from God. It is good. He designed us to receive pleasure in many ways and is, in fact, preparing us for an eternity of pleasure. We must also realize, however, that there is a hierarchy of pleasure – with God at the top – that orders all of our other pleasures. If the hierarchy gets broken or becomes skewed, then lesser pleasures will begin to war against the primary one, which is delight in Christ.”
A provocative read that just may make you feel better about your simple pleasure.
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About the Author:
Gary Thomas enjoys spending time with his family, is an avid runner and has completed seven marathons including the Boston Marathon. He is a writer and adjunct faculty member at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of several books including Sacred Marriage, Holy Available, Sacred Pathways, Sacred Parenting and the Gold Medallion Award-winning Authentic Faith.
Pure Pleasure
Release: November 2009
Soft cover, 272 pp., $14.99
ISBN: 0310290803
