Enjoyment is Approved by God

 "And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 8:15

This passage is not a free pass to live however we want. We know this because King Solomon said at the end of this book: "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Have faith in Jesus and keep His commands, that's the point of life. It's also the ultimate source of our joy. BUT—within those guide-rails of commandments, there's a ton of fun to be had!

Solomon recommends (or approves) that we enjoy ourselves throughout life; to eat and to drink and to enjoy Jesus' precious gifts along the way because life will be toilsome. In other words, life is hard so don't forget to have fun.

The word for “joy” here is a sensory enjoyment, like something you would get from rich foods. The point is that there are God-given things and activities in life that stimulate our senses, bringing us much happiness. Imagine the feeling of bombing down a mountain on skies, feeling the weight of a fish on the end of your line, standing atop a mountain, or hitting a perfectly struck golf shot— we feel these things and they make us happy!

We are reminded here that if there’s an activity or item that makes us happy and isn’t an offense to God, it’s recommended.

So, bake a sheet of brownies from time to time (and eat … half of it? Psh …), let the kids play in the puddle and get muddy, stay up a little late with friends, jump into the lake with all your clothes on—take advantage of each opportunity to enjoy life because it's hard, it's going by fast, and it won't last forever. If you can enjoy the gifts of Jesus that are available in the world with a heart of praise, a clear conscious, and self-control, then by all means—enjoy!

I think we need to take Solomon's recommendation now more than ever. We are seeing how difficult the world can be in astounding ways currently. So, I'm commending you, as Solomon did, ask your spouse or significant other to put something nice on and go do something fun; stay up late and watch an entire trilogy; spend a little extra to make it special; go back for seconds of that homemade dessert; give the kids five minutes to jump on the bed—whatever God-honoring, joy-giving, blood-bought gift of Christ that He extends to you in this world for your enjoyment, do it. And do it to His glory!

The toils of life will be there when you get done. So, for a second just eat, drink, and be joyful.

In Christ,
Pastor Kevin