It’s Okay To Enjoy Our Lives
“Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil-this is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 5:18-19
I remember when my oldest two girls were toddlers, women would stop me in the grocery stores or at church and say, “Enjoy them now, before you know it they will be all grown up!”
I would smile back and reply, “I sure am trying too!” Or at least that’s how I remember it. Paige and Addie are 16 months apart so their first few years are a little hazy. Back then, I was just trying to survive. My days were spent making sure everyone was fed and bathed at least on a semi-regular basis…including myself.
Solomon is right when he says there is a time for everything. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Over the years, I’ve learned to enjoy all the different “seasons” of my life. Instead of looking forward to one particular season in life, like I did when I was in junior high or high school, I’ve learned that in all seasons of life there is some special mixed in with some hard. And there always has to be hard days mixed in because they make the good days that much sweeter.
I don’t know about you, but I feel like Solomon takes a step back in this section of Ecclesiastes and says, “Just enjoy the life God has blessed you with.” Enjoy slower evenings and meals at home with your family. It’s okay to slow down and sit around the table with loved ones. What’s on the table to eat is not as important as who is around the table to enjoy it with. Taking time to enjoy our life and the gifts God has so graciously blessed us with is a way we can honor and give glory to God.
My oldest two girls are on the same softball team this season and the other night my husband decided to take them both out in our backyard after dinner to hit a few balls and just get some practice in before the next game. I watched my crew out there in the backyard, swinging bats and hitting balls…and missing a few along the way. Again and again they would practice catching fly balls and grounders. Our evening was a simple one. Our meal wasn’t fancy or expensive, if I remember correctly; I think we had leftovers to be exact. Dinner time wasn’t spent in long elaborate conversations around the dinner table, and I believe there were even a few tears when my youngest daughter wanted to practice with her daddy and bigger sisters and ended up getting one of her fingers smashed by a ball. (See what I was saying about the bad being mixed in with the good?!).
It was a simple night with simple people who just took time out of their busy days to enjoy the gift of time God had given them.
Time with our girls is what is priceless, and I want to spend my days investing well into their lives. I know this time in our lives is a “season” too and just like the toddler years…these years will soon pass. I cherish the gift of these years God has blessed me with.
That night after we put our girls in bed, my husband, Dirk, said, “Wasn’t tonight great?! I love it when we choose to slow down and just enjoy our lives!”
Dirk is going through Ecclesiastes with me and so we’ve had lots of discussions lately about what really matters in our lives. I’ve said quite a few times lately…”You know in the grand scheme of things…that really isn’t going to matter in a few years!”
What I’m learning is at the end of the day, a lot of what I worry about really doesn’t matter; what does matter is how I enjoy the gift of life God has blessed me with.
The enjoyment of our lives gives God glory as we thank HIM for the goodness of each of our priceless days.
If we focus more on the gifts than on the Giver, we are guilty of idolatry. If we accept His gifts, but complain about them, we are guilty of ingratitude. If we hoard His gifts and will not share them with others, we are guilty of indulgence. But if we yield to His will and use what He gives us for His glory, then we can enjoy and be satisfied. -Warren W. Wiersbe
Let’s Talk: What are some simple ways you can give God glory through your life as you enjoy the special gifts He has given to you?
Love God Greatly,
Did you miss Monday’s post? View it here!
This post hits home with me – A great big grand slam!! I am guilty of looking in the future at what I think is a brighter day and not realizing that I have a bright day going on around me at the moment! I tend to place too much worry and value in minor things that don’t really matter. My husband always says, “In ten years, no one will even remember that!” I could hear his voice in your post. It always wakes me up and brings me into reality when he says that! I hope to enjoy today, let go of the minor things, seize the moments of joy as God hands them to me, take the opportunities that are being placed before me to glorify him and thank my heavenly father for his daily blessings in my life! It is 6:07am, I’m ready to start my day! Here goes……………………….
Just be present in each moment.
My husband and I are looking at retirement in a year with excitement but also some fear. I want to trust God’s timing and direction in this new season of life., but I don’t want to miss the joys of our work in this last year. It’s a gift from God! Lots of mixed emotions!
Amen. My husband retired five years ago and I just retired. Our vision of retirement is very different. We thank God for every day together. Retirement makes you think about how our days together are coming closer to the end. Gods will be done
One day I wondered what I could do as I spent time with my aunt in a skilled nursing center. She has Alzheimer’s, but she loves music, so I took her into a room and just practiced the songs I would do for my little church the next day. The activities director asked if I could play for the others, so I opened with a prayer and tried to mention the message of the songs. It put a few to deep sleep, but there is a time for sleep, too, amen? I put myself in their shoes and the next week, I asked if anyone would like to also hear what the words say. “Yes!” one said. And God spoke to their hearts through “Blessed Assurance” and “Because He Lives.” I am so grateful that God is still opening doors to knowing Jesus in these days when you can’t mention that in public facilities in America.
I live much more in the moment than I use to. This is I think my fourth bible study with you. Beginning my day here, with you has centered my life to focus on the moment. To work on not letting the noise in my life occupy the day. To take the time for quiet, for God focused moments, for friends and family and not just running through the to do list. My husband and I pray together before we leave to start our day. We email each other devotionals and thoughts. When the world gets crazy we mentally go to a song, verse, devotion to calm and renew us.
I’m trying to remind myself that “Every good gift comes from above.” When I remember this, I thank God for the blessing and try not to take it for granted. Each day I get to spend with my husband, kids, and family is a gift from God, one to be enjoyed. I’m trying to focus on having a more thankful heart, and have been keeping a gratitude journal for over a year now. This helps me remember all that God has blessed me with and how much He deserves my praise!
The ability to enjoy life….to HAVE joy….does not always come easy for me! I get busy & lose sight of what’s most important, allowing myself to be irritated with the little things, or consumed by the challenges or the schedule & forgetting to “just be”. My goal is to live with intention, finding joy in the moments & truly being present to experience them. I am wrapping up a season of “busy” (maybe a little over-commitment:)) once again & sense God saying “just be”. True-we only have so many years with our kids at home. My oldest just hit 15 & I want to enjoy these years & have moments with them both that will be remembered forever! Bottom line? Slow down!!! Do not let life be dictated by the schedule. Take time to just “be” & live intentionally in those moments!
Just recently I remember telling my husband, “why is life so fast paced?” We took our family trip this year to the Dominican Republic where you see so much poverty, need, sadness, but also so much joy in people and love. You learn about the culture and the people that it makes you evaluate your life, asking how do I get caught up in the American Dream? The people down there have taught me the true love and joy of living life. When coming back home its that much harder to be here than there. I want to enjoy our kids as they are growing every minute of our days. This post not only hits home but really reminds me of Gods gift. He deserves all my praise of all the blessings he has shared with my family.
I have noticed my deligent work yesterday that made me aware to be thankful for Him, especially the good quality time last night of being with my little one doing his homework and the time I spent with my older boy doing our devotion for the evening, it was such a blessed night that I began to thank Him for it.
Today is the first day reading Love God Greatly since my car accident on Friday, April 1st. It had been a good day too: no rush or stress. I took my time driving home that evening while Christian music was playing softly in the background. My cell phone hadn’t been used since earlier that afternoon. It was raining and I had my headlights, windshield wipers and turn signal on. I didn’t lose consciousness so I remember every second of the impact: sounds of my windows shattering, air bags deploying and the ambulance ride to the trauma unit. God heard my cries and is healing my heart. I’m no longer thinking about the “what if”. I’m leaning on God’s gift of help through my husband, parents, friends and colleagues. Today’s verse is a wonderful reminder that life can still be enjoyed no matter the season.
Praying for a quick and complete healing for you, Jessica. May God be your comfort as you take time for simple things in life like the beautiful sky. This morning it is pink and unique!
Time does fly by. When they are young they sit in our laps but when they are older the sit on our hearts. Enjoy whatever season you are in with your children. Time doesn’t wait on anyone.
My kids and I pray in the car on the way to school. We thank God for the day, for the previous night’s sleep, for their teachers & classmates and then ask His blessings on our day and that He’ll help us shine for Him in little or big ways throughout our day. I love these moments, although sometimes our mornings are rushed and hectic. It is a gift!
Retirement, building a new house. I surrender to you Lord. We won’t move without you…this song speaks to my circumstances at this season of my life. Also as we await the blood test results in my husband, James’s health, you already know. Please give us peace and wisdom and courage.