Far too easily pleased

Posted by admin on Nov 18, 2009 in Issues & Ideas | 0 comments

Whenever I think of pleasure, I think of C.S. Lewis calling humans “half-hearted creatures,” because of our excitement with the temporary, when we are offered infinite joy. Lewis compares humans to an ignorant child who makes mud pies in a slum, because he cannot imagine the offer of a holiday at sea. And with this thought I sigh, because I agree with Lewis, we are much too easily pleased.

Masturbation can be regarded as one of those earthly mud pies, when God presents us a much more pleasing offer – that of a beautiful sex life within marriage.

Masturbation is often viewed through biological lenses as something beneficial, with many positive health effects. But are humans simply physical? Rather, we must acknowledge that human beings are spiritual and emotional creatures as well. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit; and as such, thoughts and physical actions must be consecrated and pure in all respect

Though some may argue that masturbation is not in the least equivalent to adultery (which is a huge sin in the Bible), I believe masturbation and adultery should be viewed through the same lens. Jesus states that adultery happens even before the act: when a man or woman lusts after another, they have automatically sinned in their heart. Since masturbation involves sexual fantasy, the sin first occurs in the thoughts. Put simply, masturbation is ‘lust in action’ – the acting out of lustful desires. According to author Joshua Harris, lustful actions are furthermore symptoms of deeper heart problems.

Our thought-life is of high importance to God; Paul challenges the early church in Philippians 4:8 to fix their thoughts on things that are true, honourable, right, pure, admirable and worthy of praise. These things leave no room for sexual fantasizing.

Some argue that it is possible to remove fantasizing from the act of masturbation, but even then, the act itself is an indicator that wrongful desires have been fed. Though we are sexual beings, our sexuality is not something that we are to enjoy singularly, but in a blessed union of two committed individuals. Put simply: sex is meant for two, not one. Masturbation, then, is just a way to gratify the desires of our sinful nature, which in turn takes our eyes off of God’s plan and purpose for human sexuality. By attempting to experience a sexual act apart from a union, marriage itself is disrespected and dishonoured.

C.S. Lewis masterfully examines the distorted view of sexual acts outside of marriage by comparing them to a person enjoying the sensation of chewing and tasting food, but not swallowing and digesting it properly. In all regards, this is a perversion of God’s intent. Food was created for enjoyment – to be chewed, swallowed and digested, not to rot in our mouths. In the same way, God’s purpose for sex is perverted when we attempt to enjoy it outside of the boundaries that he created. Why would we allow ourselves only a portion of fulfillment if we knew that we could have access to the ultimate fulfillment? We have succumbed ourselves as slaves to the physical body, when we are offered completion in a godly marriage. And here we draw a full circle, we are just as Lewis stated, ignorant children creating mud pies – far too easily pleased.