“The Bible– the most serious book in the world– calls us to that enjoyment, and I can prove it. It’s why I’ve written this book. This is my happy protest, and I’m asking you to join me in it.
Anger and rage and finger-pointing aren’t sustainable. They’re a crushing burden. But enjoyment can carry us forward, now and forever. So through this book, I’m hoping you’ll give yourself permission to dive right into what one scholar calls ‘the bliss of being alive.’
And that sheer bliss is not something God says he might allow us to receive. God commands us to receive it- as the wise way to live!
Enjoyment is profoundly insightful, powerfully strategic. Anxiety, depression, exhaustion (and worse) are all on the rise.
At the same time, the playful curiosity, the bold risk-taking, the rollicking good fun that all of us enjoy and need– those life-giving experiences– are declining. God cares about that.
And he has something to say about it in the ancient book of Ecclesiastes. There God counsels us to walk the path of joy as the path of wisdom. As if joy and wisdom combine perfectly! It’s why I love Ecclesiastes. And I hope you’ll find its insights as delightfully freeing as I do.
At one level, Ecclesiastes says something we all know: Life is short. That’s obvious. And yet, it isn’t obvious. I turned seventy-five a few months ago. Me, seventy-five? I was in my thirties just five minutes ago! You might not be seventy-five and half-dead like me.
Still, you get it. But at another level, here’s what Ecclesiastes wants us to think about more deeply: Life is good. Life is short, and life is good. It’s not an either/or. It’s a both/and.
And what makes your short life good is the grace of God giving your life to you, moment by moment. Your part is to receive it. Not deserve it or achieve it or control it. Just receive it and enjoy this good gift from God that is your life.
Sometimes we might get to thinking, ‘I really want to live it up. So getting close to God–that’s the last thing I want!’ Ecclesiastes says the opposite: God is the great giver of everything truly desirable. For example,
- Eating, drinking, and finding enjoyment come from the hand of God (Eccl. 2:24-25).
- Wealth, possessions, and the ability to enjoy them are gifts of God (Eccl. 5:18-19).
- Joyful feasting, along with productive work, are given to us by God (Eccl. 8:15).
- The simple joys of home life are of God and worthy to be celebrated (Eccl. 9:7-9).
How crazy, then, are we? We’re walking down the street, looking to have a good time, when we see God coming our way. So we cross the street to avoid him.
We hope he doesn’t notice and call to us, because we think he’ll only spoil our fun. But the truth is the opposite. What drains the life out of us is not God.
It’s this glittering, flashy, fraudulent world with its never-ending 24/7 grandiose hoopla and vulgar sensationalism and cheap spectacularization. It’s exhausting.
God doesn’t rob us of life. His grace restores us. He enriches us with the greatest gift of all, Christ himself, the living one who gives us true life (Rev. 1:17-18).
Jesus said, ‘The Scriptures bear witness about me’ (John 5:39). That includes Ecclesiastes. In Leviticus, for example, Jesus is the lamb sacrificed for our sins.
In Kings, he is the leader who rules us nobly and defends us powerfully. In Isaiah, he is the protester against social evils and the prophet of a brighter day. The Old Testament keeps showing us Jesus from different angles of vision.
Through Ecclesiastes, Jesus comes to us as the sage who holds up a freshly picked flower and says,
‘This flower is dying. But its bright color is still beautiful, and its rich fragrance is so lovely. God your Father created this beauty, this fragrance, for you. And your time to enjoy it is now!’
So let me ask you: Do you ever feel like that person on the street that I described a second ago? Maybe you want enough of Jesus to feel forgiven but not so much of him that he takes over? I’m here to say: The further you go with him, the more alive you will feel.
Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33) So cross that street back to where Jesus is. Seek his kingdom first. And he’ll prove himself to you. He gives everything really enjoyable.
Do we need to worry that too much of that is going around? Ecclesiastes is asking us, Are you aware that God, in his wisdom, is offering you bold enjoyment?
What if God is counseling you toward more laughter, more parties, more walks by the lake, more checking in on a lonely neighbor, more visits to the art museum, more having friends over for dessert, and maybe even getting a new puppy?
What if a wisely joyous new you will have more to offer your suffering generation than an overly serious you could ever bring to the table?
What if wise joy is the most underrated strategy for a better future for all of us? And if that is true, and it is, then why hold back? Why even wait?
Your life is short. Your life is good. God thinks so.”
-Ray Ortlund, Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: A Gospel Call to Bold Enjoyment (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2026), x-xiv.
Leave a Reply