Holy Pleasure

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,

to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. 

For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

Psalm 92:1-4

While preparing a Bible study, I read, “. . . there is nothing better for human beings than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live.” (Ecclesiasties 3:12) That sounds like embracing a life of pleasure for pleasure’s sake alone. But Ecclesiastes continues, “Moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat, drink and enjoy the results of all their toil.” Enjoying – literally drawing joy into our lives – by appreciating the things and events around us is a gift from God.

Some streams of Christian thought worry that too much pleasure will lead us to center our life on earthly things instead of God. But scripture sees enjoyment as a way of connecting with God as we give thanks for God’s works. It is hard, if not impossible, to give genuine thanks to God if we do not delight in what we are thanking God for.

The writer of this Psalm sings for joy at God’s gifts, serenading with lute and harp and lyre. Celebrating God’s works can make each gift we receive – from a cool drink of water to a child at play to a glorious sunset – an occasion for worship. Delighting in a lunch we are about to eat, a game well played, or a subject that becomes clear to us after much struggle doesn’t take a long time, but it does require a moment of appreciating the gift and letting our hearts smile. What would our lives be like if we took “joy breaks” often? What if they became a way of life?

God’s peace,

Katie