Pot bangers versus Marital Bliss

Image courtesy of thebsablog.blogspot.com
Pot Banging versus Marital Bliss

When a kid is 2 years old, his capacity for enjoyment can be derived from banging pots and pans. You would find a kid of that age at the peak of excitement holding spatulas and pots and banging them to create pandemonium. And he loves it! I bet that kid thinks he's reached heaven. If he could do this forever, he would be in Utopian euphoria!

However, the child grows. His capacity for enjoyment matures too. He is no longer interested in banging pots for enjoyment. He would rather play a video game or with a toy he loves. The kid, around 10 years now can play with his toy car the whole day. His world is all around the toy car because that is his new capacity of enjoyment. take the toy car away and you have yourself an irate child!

A few years later, he is in his teenage hood. 


His capacity for enjoyment at this moment in life is friends and trends. As long as he can have friends that approve of his trends, his life is great! His capacity for enjoyment is centered on that. Without it, he is sad. He will fume when denied to go to the party everyone is going. He doesn’t want to bang pots or play with toy cars anymore. His capacity for enjoyment has evolved.

The teen becomes a young adult and probably attends college. He meets new friends and is now onto something else. As an adult he seeks a mate. He finds a girl he loves and his capacity for enjoyment is pleasing the girl and being with her. Banging pots, toy cars and teenage life just doesn’t cut it anymore.

The young adult in no time gets serious with the opposite sex and his priority is a married life. He devotes his life to courting the girl and getting to know her after dating her for a while. His capacity for enjoyment becomes his marriage. He could walk with this girl hand in hand forever and a day! Banging pots, toy cars, teenage life and dating girls just won’t do.

The concept above applies for the final state in heaven when we live with Christ. There will be pot bangers and there will be marriables. What do I mean? 2nd Timothy 2:22 says, "In a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels but of wood and earthenware." (NASB) Some are for noble use and other for ignoble use, New King James further explains. In verse 21 it says that we have a choice of what vessel to be, honorable or without honor by choosing to cleanse ourselves. By walking in holiness. How do we walk in holiness? Verse 22 explains it. "Now, flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."

We determine what vessels we are gonna be based on how we please the Lord and walk with him today. In Revelation 22:12 Jesus says He is coming quickly and He will reward every man according to his work. There are rewards in heaven. Every follower of Jesus will either be handed pots to bang or a marriage ring depending on their growth. 


But I thought heaven will be a happy place, you say. You are very right! It will be. However, the peak of happiness of some will be in "banging pots" for eternity and that will make them happy. You need to grow in your faith beloved. Are you reading your Bible? Are you meditating on it daily? Are you spending quiet time with your maker? Are you in fellowship to grow your spirit man? Do you desire to please Jesus more than to please your self? If not, do not be surprised if pot banging is the peak of your joy for eternity. You cannot be rewarded for not pursuing the things of God. Paul in Galatians 6:7 states "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap" (NASB)


There are Christians who say, "As long as I get to heaven, I will be fine." They don’t spend time reading the word every day. They do not have a daily quiet time, they don't tell their friends about the gospel and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. They do not stand for Jesus when expected too. They compromise their lives and do not know the word of God. 


Listen, you are a spirit, you have a soul and you live in a body. If you invest in where you live at the expense of who you are, then there will be nothing to have.

Your spirit man's growth demands a price of discipline and a price of following Jesus. The life of a Christian isn’t trouble free. Jesus said in John 16:33, In this world you will have trouble! Still satisfied with your heaven ticket? You may get into the funfair but you have no tickets for any ride...for eternity. You will be happy all right. You happiness will just be confined to banging pots.

Spiritual babies get baby gifts. Spiritual adults get crowns! The crown of righteousness for those who have fought the good fight (2nd Timothy 4:8) The crown of life for the one that perseveres in trial (James 1:12, Revelation 2:10) The crown of glory for those eager to serve God and leading by example (1st Peter 5:4) and so many other gifts that are mentioned over and over in the word. But the gifts won't motivate you enough beloved even if you imagine them as hard as you would. The gift-giver will, however. He is our peace, joy, hope and salvation. When your focus is on Jesus, you become awed at the persona of God that you would live your life for him as you discover how much he gave for you to have life in abundance. But if you insist on focusing on the finite, you will miss the infinite!

You determine whether you wanna be a mature spirit man or a spiritual baby based by how you live your life today guys. You know you were saved by grace. You know you don't deserve eternal life. You know that Jesus paid the price for sin on that cross just for you. If he died for you, I dare say, you must live for him. Do you do His will or your will? 


In the Book of Revelation, after the church is raptured, John describes believers as having seated on 24 thrones. If those thrones are next to God's, I bet pot bangers are on the farthest. Intimates are closest. Remember when John and James' mother asked Jesus to have both her sons sit at his right and left? Jesus told her that she didn't know what she was asking for. John and James insisted that the wanted it. I believe they got what they wanted. James was the first disciple to be murdered for believing in Jesus. He died for his faith. I believe he is in the marriage. John was the last to die, enduring more torture than the other disciples. He was boiled in oil eventually and survived miraculously. He still tirelessly, ventured out to write the gospel and four more books to spread the love of our saviour Jesus Christ before being left for dead on Patmos Island. I believe he too is in the marriage. John and James accepted that day when their mother posed a proposition for eternal glory. We live in grace! No boiling pots, no unwarranted murders and we still have a chance to seat with James and John in the great marriage. What a benefit for us in the 21st Century! If you don't develop intimacy with him now, don't expect automatic intimacy for eternity. The Bride of Christ will be married to him but as Jesus himself says, "I will reward each man according to his faithfulness." Will pot bangers wish they had grown up on the day of Judgement? I strongly believe they will. That's my opinion. Let's wait and see. But as we wait, let's get a crown or two.