"Enjoying wealth is wrong when there's so much suffering in the world around me."
How it sounds in your head: How can I enjoy this nice meal or vacation when people are homeless and starving? Every pleasure feels like proof I don't really care about the hurting. I should probably give everything away.
"Then he said to them, 'Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'"
-- Nehemiah 8:10Religious guilt teaching that joy in abundance equals callousness toward suffering.
She sees real pain everywhere and her empathetic heart feels every Facebook fundraiser. Enjoyment feels like privilege and privilege feels like sin.
Jesus knew He'd be crucified in hours, knew Judas would betray Him, knew suffering was coming—yet He sat and ENJOYED a meal with His disciples, celebrating Passover. He didn't refuse the feast because of impending suffering.
I REFUSE the lie that enjoyment equals callousness. IT IS WRITTEN to eat the fat, drink the sweet, AND send portions to those with nothing. I am a BRANCH—joy is the STRENGTH that produces generosity fruit. IT IS WRITTEN that God gives richly ALL THINGS to enjoy. The BARAK isn't diminished by my enjoyment—it's MULTIPLIED through my strength. I receive abundance with JOY, knowing that my thriving enables giving. The Father celebrates with me while we TOGETHER fund breakthrough for the suffering.
The Father isn't waiting for you to feel guilty enough to prove you care. He's already running toward you with the feast, the party, the celebration—because your JOY in His goodness is what gives you strength to pour out the abundance He's loaded you with onto everyone around you.