We can’t forget that “Only one life will soon be past. So yes, an unhealthy obsession and focus on things that won’t last isn’t our goal. In my book Money, Possessions, and Eternity, I write about how Scripture says we’re at war, and therefore we should make sacrifices commensurate to this crisis, that we may win the war. If He provides everything for our enjoyment, we shouldn’t feel guilty for enjoying it, should we? Scripture says we are to put our hope not in material things but “in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17). It fails to recognize that because God is the ultimate source of joy, and all secondary joys emanate from Him, to love secondary joys on Earth can be-and in Heaven always will be-to love God, their source. Such a view sees the material realm and other people as God’s competitors rather than instruments that communicate His love and character. We should reject any view that seeks to divorce our experience of God from life, relationships, and the world-all of which God graciously gives us. God is the source of all lesser goods, so that when they satisfy us, it’s God Himself who satisfies us. We can certainly worship God as we eat, drink, work, read, and enjoy hobbies, nature, and art. And I worship God while joyfully playing tennis and snorkeling, just as I worship Him while enjoying music, reading God’s Word, and playing with my dog. I ride my bike to God’s glory in this life. They are not only necessities but also physical pleasures that we’re to do for God’s glory. Eating and drinking are basic human activities. Scripture gives us this command: “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). When we worship God as God, everything else falls into place-and hobbies, sports, music, reading, and entertainment can all enrich our lives as intended. Would this mean that any deed that we ever did that won’t gain us a ‘reward’ (crown, etc.) be considered ‘worthless’ as per 2 Corinthians 5:10?”įirst let me say some general things about hobbies and leisure activities to create a context for answering it. I would imagine that time spent reading a good book wouldn’t necessarily gain someone a spiritual ‘reward’ at the Judgment Seat but neither would I ever consider our (non-sinful) hobbies to fall under the category of ‘worthless’ (bad). What are your thoughts on more ‘leisurely’ activities (like our hobbies, cooking, stargazing, reading, etc.) and how our works will be judged at the Judgment Seat? It seems like 2 Corinthians 5:10 seems to say that our deeds will either be ‘good’ (and be rewarded) or ‘bad’ (worthless) which won’t be rewarded. It has really opened my eyes up so much to what we can expect from the New Earth and it has really encouraged me to see all of God’s (uncorrupted) Creation as ‘very good’ and not all ‘worldly.’ A reader wrote me this note with a question:
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