Truly Enjoy Stuff In The World

“The man who truly and disinterestedly enjoys any one thing in the world, for its own sake, without caring two-pence, what other people think about it, is by that very fact forearmed against some of our subtlest modes of attack. You should always try to make the patient abandon the people or food or books he really likes in favor of the ‘best’ people, the ‘right’ food, the ‘important’ books” (The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, 2001, p66).

Screwtape advises Wormwood to keep his victim from enjoying stuff. The demon points out that the man who truly enjoys God’s gifts is the man who is protected from the their attacks.

King David said, “Taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8 NKJV). We know God is good when we taste good food. We know God is good when we enjoy the fellowship of the saints. We know God is good when we enjoy good books.

It strikes me how many Christians today sound more like Screwtape than King David. They warn against the dangers of enjoying any physical thing. But that’s backwards. Satan hates stuff. God loves stuff (Genesis 1:31).

What do you think?
Joseph