For whom did God create all the beautiful stuff???

A lovely lady I met recently posted this in a group I joined. I don't think I could have said it better! It is with her permission, I post this.

"Sinners! If you believe some religious leaders, only sinners are to enjoy the beauty of God's creation.

Take gold, silver and precious stones, they are only for the most sinful among us. Sure they are beautiful. Sure they can give pleasure in viewing their beauty. Sure God did indeed create them; nothing man has created can compare to the beauty of God's creations. But did He really intend that only those headed for hell may enjoy the beauty He created? Should christians wear only ugly, plain stuff? I refuse to believe this. It is as wrong headed as the statement that money is the root of all evil --it is the LOVE of money, not the money itself. If your jewelry becomes your god, then yes it may become a sin but so can your car, your home, anything that you allow to come between you and God can become a sin but very, very few things in life are in and of themselves a sin. Denying ourselves any beauty is more likely to cause a lustful, coveteous spirit than one of joyful servitude.

What about the beach. Did God create that only for the pleasure of the sinful? If we cannot go where people are not decently clothed, then stay out of the mall, the park, amusement parks, even the grocery store Again, I refuse to believe this; all of God's creation was made for our pleasure as we are made for His pleasure. The ocean has a very beautiful, awesome, calming effect on most people. In fact, all of God's creation engenders a spirit of awe, pleasure, reverence, joy when one takes the time to truly enjoy.

There are so many [religions] forbid their adherents to enjoy with the stated premise that doing so would be sin and lead to a backslidden condition. I believe that on the contrary, forbidding people to enjoy what God intended them to enjoy leads to frustration, anger, hurt, envy and eventually sin and pulling away from a God who is as seen as unfair, uncaring, unloving. 

A heart full of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, meekness,etc. would have no place for anger, bitterness, envy, strife, etc. and the beauty around that individual is simply life's pleasures provided by a loving God. These things of beauty are not God's consolation prize for sinners - but rather God's gift to all, given freely as a part of His creation plan."