The writer of Ecclesiastes 9:7 said this: Seize life! Eat bread with gusto, drink wine with a robust heart. Oh yes–God takes pleasure in your pleasure! (The Message)
If I get to have a laugh-out-loud kind of day, relaxed, and just having fun, I never think about how important it is to God for me to enjoy myself. I tend to think more about God when I’m gloomy, down and out and wondering when the world will turn right side up again. Worry seems worthy of God’s time. Struggle must be in His troubleshooting package. But fun? Does God care whether I actually have a great day?
My answer to this is “Absolutely!” Everything about your life matters. When you get together with dear friends and go bowling and cheer each other no matter how many pins fall, that’s important. You are not just your struggles and hard times. You are a composite of all that is good and all that is crazy and all that is somewhat unfinished about you. That’s why God hasn’t quit walking with you or working with you. He knows you could still use a bit more shaping and molding. He also knows that you’ve learned a lot about what it means to live in this world and He’s proud of the great things you’ve done.
If you recall, God created feast days for His people in the Old Testament. He wanted them to celebrate milestones and good things. He wanted them to remember the joy they derived from family and friends, as well as from His grace over their lives. He wanted them to eat, drink, and be merry. He still wants that.
Don’t forget to celebrate the good things. The more you enjoy what you’ve been given, the more joy it brings to the One who designed you to seize life and live it fully.
You remember when you were a fun person, don’t you?
Cheers to you, friends!