Uncoiling toiling

So I have my 'Far Too Easily Distracted Essay Writer's hat on again... Fortunately the internet has been refusing to let me back on for the last few hours. Sometimes I wonder if that's God saying in a very nasal voice and with head tilted back in a superior position, "Noooooooo, do some more work. Not letting you..." If he is, I'm appreciative, as much of a pain as it is. I really do suck at toiling, but lately I've come to see how important toiling is. I'm not talking the fun fishing toiling where it's a satisfying battle. I'm talking about the daily toiling of doing work, even when it's incredibly dull. Proverbs 21:17a says "He who loves pleasure will become poor." I don't think that's saying you should hate fun and pleasure - clearly we are made to enjoy it. I think it's saying if pleasure and fun are what you're all about; if you live for nothing more than to have fun, then you're not going to get very far. In such a pleasure driven society it's easy to do. Society tells us that if we aren't having the best time ever in our jobs; if we lose that passion in our relationship; if we're not living lives as exciting as the ones we see on TV, we should move on, because a live full of fun and pleasure will come with that exciting new job, with that sexy person on the side and by doing whatever we want is a good life and will make us happy. The reality is, yes. They will give us pleasure. We will feel fulfilled. The excitement will make us happy and life will be good.

But it won't last. It never does. I heard recently about the 'Eat, Pray, Love' novel. Clearly it was a hit. It told people everything they wanted to hear: that if you chase those dreams of an exciting, pleasure-filled life, you'll find real happiness and life will be great. The main lady of the story (forgive me if I get this wrong, I haven't read it myself) ditches her husband and family to travel and make her life exciting and fulfilling. On her travels she indulges in a variety of different experiences, and eventually she meets a foreign hottie and falls in love with him. The story ends and everyone loves it: a fantastic life full of rich experiences and excitement is possible! The author releases the sequel: she finds the foreign hottie isn't all she thought he would be, and that her new live has really equated to nothing. She returns home to try and recapture her old life, which at the time she thought was boring, but now sees it as stable and lasting. She is made to deal with the consequences. This is my talk on hyperreality by the way. The dreams and falsities she was chasing: the hyperreality we all at some point desire and strive for. It's modern religion. We've come to expect more than what the world really offers us. It's better than the real thing! It's not the real thing though. It won't last, just like it didn't for that lady, and just like it didn't or won't for you.

I want to toil more; to live a life that recognises there are consequences to how we do things. I don't want to seek pleasure for the purpose of finding meaning. Yes, I enjoy pleasure, but I won't become about those things. I'll never find my meaning in them. That can only be found in a relationship with Jesus - he'll last. Forever. How will pleasure and fun last when life turns to crud? As for me, my pleasure is found in Christ alone. He won't fail me.

Deep aye! Haha. It's pretty much all from Mark Sayers' book 'The Trouble With Paris.' Thoughts if you have them...