In Spite of Myself

I walked a mile with Pleasure;

She chattered all the way,

But left me none the wiser

For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow

And ne'er a word said she;

But oh, the things I learned from her

When Sorrow walked with me!

Robert Browning Hamilton

This is so true. I know that in my own life, I have learned so much through sorrow. At one time I thought that if things were easier on me, I would be able to do more to serve God and would have more of a desire to serve. But, this is not the case. During the times things had been better, I often found myself drifting from God. I began to depend on my own strength, and forgot that the only way I can do all things is through Christ Jesus. Sorrow keeps us near to the heart of God. Pleasure can cause us to take our focus off what is truly important. Only what's done for Christ will last. All other things are meaningless in light of eternity.

There is so much pleasure available in today's world. Not all of it is evil, but it  becomes sin once it takes precedence in our lives over the things of God. Ask yourself this...

"Why do I need another hour of mindless drivel from the television? Do I really have time to spend another 3 hours on that video game? Am I reading all this other literature more than I am reading my Bible?"

Every second another soul enters into eternity. All around me people are sinking deeper in the mire of their sins. What am I doing about it? I have to say, not near enough.

If I really grasped what was happening, if I really understood the gravity of the situation, if I really saw through the eyes of God...