Introduction: More Than Duty

I’ve been thinking recently about a line I heard from the Heidelberg Catechism that has echoed through the Christian faith for centuries:

“What is the chief end of man?”
“To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

That second part has been echoing through my own mind a lot lately.

Enjoy Him forever.

Not merely obey Him.
Not merely serve Him.
Not merely learn about Him.

Enjoy Him.

If I’m honest, I don’t always think about my relationship with God that way.

Sometimes faith can quietly become functional:

• reading Scripture because I should
• praying because it’s expected
• trying to grow spiritually
• trying to become a better person

None of those things are bad.

But somewhere along the way, it’s possible to forget something beautiful:

God did not create us merely for obligation.

He created us for relationship.

And relationships are meant to be enjoyed.

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A God Who Wants to Be Near

From the very beginning of Scripture, we see a God who desires closeness with humanity.

In Eden, God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden.

Not as a distant force.
Not as an abstract idea.

But as One who desired fellowship.

And even after sin fractured that relationship, God’s story became one long rescue mission to bring His people back near again.

That’s the heart behind the cross.

Not merely forgiveness.

Restored relationship.

“My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”
John 14:23 (NIV)

God does not merely tolerate our presence.

He desires it.

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Delighting in God

Scripture repeatedly speaks of delighting in God—not just believing in Him.

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4 (ESV)

That word delight matters.

Delight is relational.
Joyful.
Alive.

It’s the difference between visiting someone out of obligation…
and genuinely wanting to be with them.

David understood this deeply.

One thing I ask from the Lord… that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord.
Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

Notice what David longed for:

Not success.
Not power.
Not even answers.

Presence.

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Why This Feels Strange to Us

I think many of us struggle with this idea because we often relate to God primarily through performance.

Am I doing enough?
Am I praying enough?
Am I growing enough?
Am I failing too often?

We approach God like employees approaching a performance review.

But Jesus described something far more intimate.

“I no longer call you servants… Instead, I have called you friends.”
John 15:15 (NIV)

Friends.

Children.

Beloved.

Those are relational words.

And relationships are not sustained by duty alone.

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Jesus Enjoyed the Father

When we look at Jesus, we don’t see someone reluctantly enduring a relationship with the Father.

We see joy.
Trust.
Communion.

Even when Jesus withdrew to lonely places to pray, it never feels transactional.

It feels connected.

Alive.

There’s a beautiful moment at Jesus’ baptism where the Father says:

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:17 (NIV)

Before Jesus had performed miracles.
Before public ministry.
Before the cross.

Love came first.

Pleasure came first.

Relationship came first.

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The Invitation We Often Miss

Sometimes I wonder if we unintentionally reduce Christianity to moral improvement.

Try harder.
Do better.
Sin less.

Again—those things matter.

But they are not the center.

The center is relationship with God Himself.

And not merely enduring that relationship…

enjoying it.

Not partial joy.

Fullness.

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What Enjoying God Might Look Like

Enjoying God does not always look dramatic or emotional.

Sometimes it looks like:

• noticing beauty in creation
• sitting quietly in prayer
• feeling gratitude while reading Scripture
• worshiping honestly
• cherishing the company of your wife, husband, or other close friend
• taking a peaceful walk and becoming aware of God’s presence

Sometimes it simply means slowing down enough to remember:

God is not merely a concept to study.

He is a Person to know.

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A Different Kind of Spiritual Growth

Ironically, when we stop obsessing over spiritual performance and begin enjoying God more deeply…

real growth often follows naturally.

Love changes us more deeply than fear ever could.

That’s true in every relationship.

And it’s true with God too.

The Christian life is not primarily about climbing toward God.

It is responding to the God who already came near.

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A Final Encouragement

If your relationship with God has begun to feel heavy…
transactional…
or exhausting…

maybe this week is an invitation to rediscover something simpler.

Not merely learning about God.

Not merely working for God.

But enjoying Him.

Because perhaps the deepest truth of all is this:

The God of the universe actually wants to be with us.

And one day, in ways we can barely imagine now…

we will enjoy Him forever.

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A Question to Sit With

When was the last time I simply enjoyed being with God… without trying to accomplish anything?