Good Things

"A fundamental part of Christian growth depends on teaching believers not only to do good, but also to distinguish between various goods, and to seek the highest good among them. How should we value temporal (def: perishable) goods like family, music, politics, literature, art, work, and sports? On the one hand, we know the joy they can bring us. On the other hand, they often seem like distractions from the spiritual life."

"In the course of his religious journey to Christianity (NOT a journey to religion, but out of it) Augustine recognized that no object or physical thing can be good or bad in itself. Rather he acknowledged two things: (1) that it is our will that takes good things and makes them bad by our absorption with them and thus our perversion of them, and (2) the relation of our affections to the sensible world can only be determined by having a proper relation to all physical things in light of their Creator."

From Christianity Today, September 2007, "The Good Life". Words in italics are added by me.

This is similar to what I wrote yesterday about Christian maturity, but I think the idea that good things can be made bad by our use or overuse of them is crucial to spiritual growth. It is essential to (1) identify these things and (2) deal with them. If you need guidance in this process I would love to talk it over with you!

If your looking for a good book to read, Augustine's autobiography Confessions is available in my office.