"Enjoying luxury when I'm older is vain and shows misplaced priorities"
How it sounds in your head: You're thinking about eternity now, not earth. Caring about nice clothes, a beautiful home, travel—it's all wood, hay, and stubble. This is the season to store up treasures in HEAVEN, not indulge earthly comforts. Luxury feels frivolous when you're facing your Maker soon.
"And also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God."
-- Ecclesiastes 3:13False dichotomy that positions earthly enjoyment against heavenly focus, as if God requires misery to prove devotion
Every funeral you attend reminds you of life's brevity. Pastors emphasize eternal investment over earthly pleasure. Enjoying luxury feels like Nero fiddling while Rome burns—trivial in light of eternity.
Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, deeply spiritual, wrote Scripture—and 1 Kings 10:23 says he 'surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.' God gave him BOTH. Spirituality and luxury weren't opposites—they were COMBINED blessing.
I REFUSE the lie that enjoying luxury is vain. IT IS WRITTEN that enjoying the good of my labor is the GIFT of God. Solomon had riches AND wisdom—spirituality doesn't require poverty. IT IS WRITTEN in 1 Timothy 6:17 that God gives us richly all things to ENJOY. I can be heaven-focused AND enjoy earthly blessing. My Father renews my youth with GOOD things. I receive luxury without guilt, knowing earthly enjoyment glorifies a generous Father.
Your Father isn't frowning at you for enjoying His gifts like a stingy relative watching you open presents. He's the extravagant Father who adorned the returning prodigal with ring, robe, and sandals BEFORE the party even started—because He delights in lavishing His kids with visible, tangible, enjoyable blessing.