Eat, Drink, and Be Glad

“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.” (Eccl. 8:15 NIV)

Does God really want us to eat, drink, and be glad?

When I was in college, I met a group of people who liked to have fun. They laughed a lot, but their jokes were always clean. Their teasing was never mean-spirited. And whether they were driving to a movie theater or playing a game of miniature golf, they talked about God as if he were right there beside them. Sitting in the Student Union, they talked about “abundant life.” Walking across campus to class, they shared stories of answers to prayer.

Their brand of spirituality was different from what I’d grown up with. I’d been taught religion was a private matter, and the spiritual leaders I knew seemed solemn and joyless.

These new friends loved Jesus and knew how to have a good time. I wanted what they had, and their joyful example motivated me to pursue a genuine relationship with Jesus.

Lately it’s been more difficult to maintain the optimistic outlook I experienced in my college days. As I live life “under the sun,” I notice the “abundant life” isn’t always abounding in happiness. Bad things sometimes happen to good people. Evil goes unpunished.

Though I try not to spend too much time watching the news, the other day I found myself shaking my head at the TV, sighing, and rolling my eyes. The longer I listened to reports of crime, corruption, and injustice, the more infuriated I became.

I began ranting rather than rejoicing and protesting rather than praising.

Though Solomon didn’t have 24/7 news broadcasts when he wrote Ecclesiastes, he observed the same types of problems we face today. Yet Solomon repeatedly advises us to eat, drink, and enjoy life. In other words, celebrate and have fun.

I used to think Solomon’s advice to “eat, drink, and be merry” was just a cynical remark. Solomon had indulged in all the world had to offer, and afterwards, he concluded that everything is meaningless, life isn’t fair, and we’re all going to die. I thought Solomon was saying, “Life is pointless. We might as well just live it up before we die.”

But after a more careful study of Ecclesiastes, I realized “eat, drink, and be merry” is sound advice.

Solomon taught us how to live in a world we can’t control. While our natural reaction might be to become angry, bitter, or despairing, Solomon recommended we enjoy the gifts God gives us. After everything he’d experienced, Solomon concluded we should fear God and keep his commandments because, in the end, God will judge every deed (Eccl. 12:13-14).

Yes, the book of Ecclesiastes tells us sometimes it’s appropriate to mourn, to weep, to speak up against injustice, and to tear down strongholds. But cynicism shouldn’t be our default setting.

As Peter Adam puts it, “Cynicism today, as at any time, contradicts the three vital signs of Christianity according to Paul: faith in Jesus Christ, love for all the saints, and hope as we await the return of Christ.”

In spite of all the wrongs in the world, God wants us to rejoice.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4 NIV).

Joyful people love to sing, dance, laugh, and play. They savor each bite of their turkey dinner and hot apple pie (or whatever’s on the menu). They enjoy the companionship of friends and family. Joyful people appreciate the beauty of creation. They notice the crisp autumn air and the brilliant reds and golds of autumn leaves. They give thanks. And as Solomon discovered, they don’t brood over the brevity of life because they’re too busy having fun. (Eccl. 5:18-20 CJB).

When the pains of life wear them down, joy energizes them.

They focus on the goodness of God rather than the woes of the world.

I want to display the kind of joy I had when I first put my faith in Jesus. I’m learning it’s not attractive to stand on a soapbox shouting, “What’s this world coming to?” It’s more life-giving to remember that, though life feels like a battlefield, in the end, God wins.

So we don’t need to become cynical. Instead, let’s celebrate. Let’s eat, drink, and be glad.

Margaret Kemp spends most days teaching a classroom full of lively five-and six-year-olds. She’s attracted to be fragrance of vanilla, the printed word, and all things blue and white. She delights in spending time with her husband and family, singing praises with her church choir peeps, and traveling. Her heart’s desire is to know God better and learn to trust him more. You can read more of her writing at MargaretKemp.com.

Photograph © Etty Fidele, used with permission