The essence of loving is not doing. The essence of loving is delighting. God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him. John Piper
What does it mean to enjoy God?
Have you ever met someone then suddenly you enjoyed the presence of that person? You won't notice you've been talking for hours, you won't notice you haven't eaten yet, and you won't notice the surrounding people. Perhaps you also met people who made you feel at home and when they are not around, you long for them and you miss them. Perhaps you also fell in love and suddenly you want to be with that person and you will do anything just to be with that person. We enjoy people or things because they give us amusement in life. They give us pleasure and satisfaction but have you ever felt deep enjoyment and satisfaction in God?
Are you satisfied in God because He gives you all the good things in life or the circumstance is in favor with you? Or are you satisfied in God because He is supremely satisfying?
Instant gratification is ubiquitous in modern society. We can find enjoyment in every corner. To get your favorite food, simply swipe when you're hungry. Visit other social media sites to pass the time if you're feeling down. You can be the person you've always wanted to be if you're insecure about your body and looks and have a huge wallet. Simply use your fingertips to search for your match if you want a relationship. Finding instant pleasure to satisfy our desires is easy, right? Technology has made life much easier than it was in the past, and these developments are beneficial. However, it is our job to utilize technology properly and appropriately.
But the question is how will you still find God and enjoy Him if there's so much more pleasures around? What I realized is when you find satisfaction in God and you enjoy His presence, you won't enjoy other stuff anymore that gave you pleasure before. You will learn to let go of so many things that hinder you from going into His presence. And even though the circumstance is not in favor of you, you will still be glad and you can still rejoice in the name of the Lord.
I remember when Paul wrote Philippians, he was giving advice and encouragement while he was in chains, facing death; a man who has been stoned and beaten and hounded by the mob. Yet experiences that may leave others sour and bitter leave Paul with overflowing joy. How does he do it?
Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable. If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned, and received and heard and seen in me- practice these things, and God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4: 4-9
Paul can still rejoice in the Lord because he is most satisfied in Him despite of his circumstance. He had peace that surpasses understanding because he is leaning to God and guarding his heart and mind in Jesus Christ. Another one, a man who experienced great suffering but still chose to worship God. His sons and daughters died, all of his wealth was gone, he was ill and his wife turned against to God but still chose to worship God, to enjoy His presence and be satisfied in Him even in the midst of suffering.
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.[a]
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.”22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Job 1:20-22,Bible Gateway
“If God is your gold, he will be your gladness. If God is your treasure, he will be your pleasure.” Job had everything before and in just blink of an eye, he lost everything but he never based his faith on the blessings he had instead God remained His gold, His greatest treasure and source of enjoyment just like Paul and as this prophet, Habakkuk;
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
Habakkuk 3:17-19, Bible Gateway
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
Thus the great and first commandments is Matthew 22:35-38 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment” Finally I understand this just like what John Piper said, "The essence of loving is not doing. The essence of loving is delighting. God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him because He is supremely satisfying, loving is not doing, it is delighting, love is the root and doing is the fruit." We should not interchange it, we need to be satisfied in God first so He will be glorified in us, He will be magnified in us and we will have the joy to follow Him.
And seeking God first gives us enjoyment in life in any season, it gives us joy, peace, hope, love, and satisfaction. It is not burdensome, it is light and beautiful. Just like when you find your lover. I was conversing to my good friends, women who were ahead of me in many aspects in life, they were my advisers and counselors. It was a long day of chickahan about God's goodness and other stuff. We had a great time together. Then, we talked about her married life and she was saying that her marriage is not perfect but it is light. The right person won't give so much pain instead enjoyment in their presence, happiness, peace and assurance. It's not magical and dramatic, it's beautiful. It is completely satisfying because it is also gift from God.
How amazing it is right, to find enjoyment in God? Truly amazing! Truly beautiful!
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
Psalm 37:4 is very closed to my heart because I realized when I desire God the most, He will put His desires into my heart and it will be my desires too, not my selfish desires.
So is there any reason not to enjoy God?
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/what-is-it-like-to-enjoy-god
What Is It Like to Enjoy God? John Piper
