We have been on a journey together in understanding the Christian life, and I want to share a simple yet powerful truth that must be grasped if this walk with God—in this life and the life to come—is ever going to bear fruit. You cannot live the Christian life out of duty or obligation. God desires you to enjoy Him.
The Foundation of Pleasure in God
As it is written in Revelation 4:11: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” You were created for the pleasure of God, not primarily to serve Him. He has countless angels for service; they serve Him and will serve us if we hearken to His Word. You were built for pleasure—His pleasure in you, and your pleasure in Him. This cuts across much of what we hear in modern Christianity, where the emphasis often falls on discipline and obligation. Yet the reality is, God wants to enjoy you, and He wants you to enjoy Him. Pause. Selah. Let that sink in. God wants and desires you to enjoy Him. The Christian life He intends for you is one that flows naturally out of that enjoyment.
I am convinced that without this foundation, everything else becomes strained. Consider how many believers approach their walk with a sense of compulsion, as if forcing themselves through spiritual exercises. But Scripture reveals a different picture: creation itself exists by His will, for His pleasure. We exist in that same divine intent. Over the years, I have learned that when we miss this, we end up striving in the flesh, leaning on our own understanding rather than drawing from the rivers of living water within. It is vital that we grasp this: enjoyment is not an add-on; it is the core from which everything else flows. If the Christian life feels like a burden, we have drifted from this truth. We were not redeemed to labor under obligation but to walk in the freedom of mutual delight with our Creator.
Take a moment to reflect on your own experience. Do you sense that pull toward duty, or have you tasted the pleasure of His presence? The Bible teaches that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, where His joy becomes our strength. Yet so often, we quench that by turning relationship into religion. I encourage you to examine this: where has obligation replaced enjoyment in your walk? The simple truth is, God created you for this intimate exchange. He pours out His Spirit without measure so that we might overflow with His life. This is not about performance; it is about pressing into the heart of God, where pleasure in Him becomes the natural rhythm of our days.
When Duty Becomes Drudgery
As it is written in Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” If you are not enjoying your Christian life, stop. I do not mean abandon your faith or walk away from God, but stop doing what you are doing in the same way. As Einstein observed, insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. We must sometimes pause, recalibrate, and realign ourselves with the Lord. Ask yourself: how do I come to the place where I actually enjoy being with Him?
Do you enjoy reading your Bible? Because here is what will happen—and I know whereof I speak, as do you: if you do not enjoy it, you will stop sooner or later. You will view it like forced repetitions in a gymnasium, something you compel yourself to do, even if it feels like holding a figurative weapon to your own head. If you truly want to do something, you will end up doing it. The bottom line for all of us is that we gravitate toward what we enjoy. We have learned about habits: trigger, action, reward. Yet for so many believers, the reward from engaging in the things of God is merely the absence of guilt or shame—the sense that God might not be happy with us because we have neglected these practices.
The actual issue is less about God being displeased with you and more about you not finding happiness in God. If you are not happy in Him, you will not walk with Him consistently. Scripture promises fullness of joy in His presence, yet we often settle for drudgery. I have discovered over many years that this stems from a misunderstanding of His heart. We lean into dead works, striving in our own strength, rather than drawing from the resurrection life within. It is crucial to recognize this shift: when duty dominates, joy diminishes. We quench the Spirit through obligation, turning what should be rivers of living water into stagnant pools.
Consider the contrast: religion imposes burdens, but relationship releases joy. Paul writes of rejoicing in the Lord always, yet how many of us experience that? If your Bible reading feels obligatory, it becomes a ceiling rather than a doorway. The same holds for prayer or witnessing. We must realize that God’s path of life leads to pleasures forevermore—not endless toil. I would suggest to you that examining your heart here is foundational. Where has drudgery crept in? The Lord showed me long ago that forcing spiritual disciplines without enjoyment leads to burnout. Instead, we need to seek His face until His presence becomes our greatest delight.
Permission to Recalibrate
As it is written in Hebrews 13:20-21: “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” I want to give you permission today to do two things. First, sit down with the Lord and do some brainstorming—a brain dump, if you will. Throw it all out there. You could even use a tool like ChatGPT to talk through it for ten or fifteen minutes, then have it organize and sort your thoughts.
Write down the vision of the life you want to live with the Lord—the life you believe He wants you to live. Include reading your Bible, praying, witnessing, and engaging in all these things. Define it clearly. Then, take away the guilt and shame. Come to the Lord and say, “Lord, there is a great verse in Hebrews that speaks of You working in me the things which please You.” Bring that list to Him every day and pray: “Lord, teach me, train me, nurture me, guide me—show me how to enjoy doing these things and living this life.”
I believe if you will do this, He will. This is not about self-effort but allowing the God of peace to work within you. The blood of the everlasting covenant secures this: He makes us complete, working what is pleasing in His sight. Over the years, I have come to realize that recalibration begins with honesty before Him. We lay down the striving and take up His yoke, which is easy and light. It is essential to engage with Him this way—daily, moment by moment—until enjoyment becomes the norm.
Think of it as possessing your inheritance by faith. We often quench the Spirit by forcing what should flow naturally. Instead, draw near and let Him activate the desire within. This permission to recalibrate frees us from performance-based living. The Lord taught me this through my own seasons of dryness: when I stopped the obligation and sought His pleasure, joy returned. We need to understand that He desires this for us—working in our innermost being until His will becomes our delight.
Practical Steps to Enjoyment
As it is written in Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Practically speaking, begin with that brain dump and vision. Bring it before the Lord daily, asking Him to teach you enjoyment. This is how we build a lifestyle where the Christian life flows out of us, not forced upon us.
At a practical level, examine your habits. What triggers lead to spiritual engagement? Replace guilt with genuine reward—the joy of His presence. I encourage you to pursue this diligently, day by day. Over time, you will find that reading Scripture becomes a delight, prayer a natural conversation, and witnessing an overflow. The key is persistence in seeking His face until enjoyment takes root.
I have learned that this transforms everything. We move from drudgery to demonstration of His power and presence. Cultivate this by faith, and watch how He enlarges your capacity for joy.
This simple truth—that God wants you to enjoy Him—changes how we approach our walk. When we shift from duty to delight, the Christian life becomes what it was meant to be: an overflow of His pleasure in us and ours in Him. Let this recalibrate your heart today.
Selah.
Scriptures for Study
Revelation 4:11, Psalm 16:11, Hebrews 13:20-21, Philippians 4:4, John 15:11, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 37:4, Romans 14:17, Galatians 5:22, 1 Peter 1:8, Psalm 100:2, Isaiah 55:12, Zephaniah 3:17, John 10:10, Romans 15:13, Psalm 5:11, Acts 2:28, Psalm 30:5, 2 Corinthians 6:10, Psalm 126:2, John 16:24, Psalm 43:4, Romans 5:2, Psalm 119:111, Jude 1:24
10 Questions for Reflection
- In what areas of your Christian life have you been operating out of duty rather than enjoyment?
- How might your walk with God change if you truly believed you were created for His pleasure?
- What specific spiritual practices feel like drudgery to you right now, and why?
- Have you ever experienced the fullness of joy in God’s presence as described in Scripture?
- What vision do you have for a life of enjoyment in God—reading His Word, praying, witnessing?
- How can you practically remove guilt and shame from your spiritual habits?
- In what ways has striving in your own strength hindered your relationship with Him?
- What steps will you take this week to brainstorm and recalibrate with the Lord?
- How does the promise that God works in you what pleases Him encourage you today?
- Where in your daily routine can you invite more of His joy to overflow?
