I had just been announced as the State President of the Nigeria Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF). I swung into days of intense fasting and prayers for the task ahead. Around that time, a dear father of faith in the land hosted all the newly appointed excos to a lunch in one of the nicest hotels in the city. Plates of food, drinks, and chops were flying around. I had a decision to make; to break my fast or miss these sumptuous delicacies. I decided to put purpose before pleasure.
Friend, in your walk with the Lord, you must learn to put purpose before pleasure. The truth is, we would all come to that point where we need to choose between comfort and enjoyment, purpose and pleasure, and between what is God and what is good (Luke 4:1-4). This is a defining moment in our walk with God. Heaven is watching to see our response at such moments (Hebrews 12:1-2).
For Daniel, eating the kings meat may look innocent, but it would truncate a major part of God’s purpose for his life (Daniel 1:8). In choosing purpose before pleasure, you need to realize that some things are not sinful in themselves, but you have only chosen to live by a higher standard (1 Corinthians 6:12-13). You have chosen to go all the way with Jesus.
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to choose between what is good and what is right (Hebrews 5:14). The problem is not about saying no to evil. It is about saying no to what is good but does not align with God’s plan for your life (John 6:15). If you are still asking or arguing if something is a sin or not, it means you are still a baby Christian.
You must never sacrifice the ultimate for the immediate. Don’t allow your stomach to play God over your life (Philippians 3:19). Don’t allow what you eat to eat up your destiny. You can never go far with God if you don’t know how to manage your hunger. Hunger for food, sex, money, and power are legitimate hunger placed inside of us by God. But they must be managed properly.
For some people, the hunger for God has been replaced by the hunger for ephemeral things (Psalms 63:1-3). They have replaced the ordained for the mundane. They have sacrificed their eternity for ‘eat and eat it.’ Like Esau, they have sold their birthright for mere porridge (Genesis 25:29-34, Hebrews 12:16). Like David, they have allowed a one-night stand to affect their stand with God and in destiny (2 Samuel 11:1-5). Learn to put purpose before pleasure. Is this clear enough?
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria