Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Can We Enjoy This Life?

The Bible says, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15) and if anyone loves the world, they hate God (James 4:4). Does that mean we cannot enjoy things in this life such as books, movies, sports etc? Remember when the Bible mentions the world it either means the planet such as the case with John 3:16. It can also mean the world system that is against God.

We are citizens of heaven (Philippians 1:27) that is true, but that does not mean we stop from enjoying the life God has given us here while we live on earth. The writer of Ecclesiastes wrote:

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? (Ecclesiastes 2:24–25)

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).

Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun (Ecclesiastes 9:9).


The first verse says there is nothing better than to eat, drink, and even find joy in his work. Yes, work is good. It is only hard because of the Fall. The second verse almost the same thing as if the writer is echoing what he said previously. He even adds enjoying wealth and possessions. Many think both of those are bad. They only become sin when we take more pleasure in them than God. The last verse says for men to enjoy their wives that God has given them. This also applies to women to enjoy their husbands.

James 1:17 says that every good and perfect gift comes from above. We are give thanks to God and enjoy what he has given us in this life. We can enjoy new technologies, movies, books, cars, and even when our favorite teams win. All of this is from God.

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