Hi all! We are grateful to join this book club with you. Joel and I listened to the video with Ray before diving into the book, and we were both refreshed by his take and purpose for writing the book, and yet a little cautious and curious. There are a couple reasons for this. One, I think we both have a church background that has influenced (and tainted) the way we perceive the world around us. We are tempted to think more legalistically about this world, “that’s off limits, that’s wrong, that conversation is too ‘light’, “how could we have possibly glorified God in this?”, equating such things to sin, perhaps when they are NOT. Second, a temptation can be self-indulgance, so we would rather set boundaries for ourselves, as to not be tempted to go overboard in certain areas (like SUGAR, haha!)
Something that resonated with us is the tension that he speaks of on pg. 3, living with a both/and mix. We feel this too! We agree, enjoy the DQ ice cream with grandma, but ALSO, don’t miss the opportunity to share the gospel with the employee at the register at DQ!!! There is a clear call in scripture to live with purpose and intentionality, with care and reverence, something we don’t want to miss in our lives. This verse comes to mind:
“Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
Ephesians 5:16-17 NLT
We are reading Ecclesiastes as we reflect on this book, to better understand and rightly apply these principles. All in all, we think this book will help us increase our appreciation of every God given gift, and not reduce it to something that doesn’t hold value or significance. Why, it’s His, isn’t it?!
Past experience and teaching/thinking that either leans toward the legalistic or towards too much liberty can choke out our ability to live in the wisdom of God's both/and path of life with Him.
I think that's the value of this book, helping us to develop the wisdom to both enjoy every good gift and reject what is not of God, all the while aiming for the contentment of Paul who says he has found "how to be content in all things," in both abundance and in poverty.
This chapter spoke to me about how important it is to be present within our own lives. I feel as though accepting joy dually requires a commitment to presence. I've been focusing recently on disconnecting from my phone/social media, and having the extra attention span available to enjoy my life and surroundings has been very enlightening. I see, hear, and notice so many things I would miss if I was distracted!
Of course, I still find myself occasionally feeling the urge to grab my phone for a photo or video to capture a moment, but the feeling becomes easier to disregard when I weigh my options of enjoying the moment in real time or being removed from the moment so I can try to enjoy repeats of the moment later on. A good comparison might be a fresh meal versus leftovers!
It was refreshing to me to hear an opinion of Ecclesiastes focusing on the fact that we should Rejoice in our lives. I really need this in our world currently and the fact that it will get worse before Jesus comes back. So this out look helps us to be thankful for the small way that he has for us to, as Ray says, "Eat, Drink, & Be Merry!"
So thankful that in Christ we always have reason to rejoice despite any worldly circumstance!
And refreshing is the word I've used again and again to describe the message of this book as well. I think you'll find the same as you continue with the rest of the book 👍
Thanks for joining the conversation! You look familiar in your profile picture, were you who I was talking to in the shop from KC during flea market weekend?
No, I was the one who worked in the Browville, Auburn, Nebraska City area and would get an Affogato. I brought my sister in the last week y'all were open.
I found the simplicity of remembering LIFE IS SHORT AND LIFE IS GOOD kept my mindset on enjoying the “season” (colorful fall) without bemoaning “the next season/winter”
Also it dawned on me…I am more aligned with the author and need to encourage the youth to get into this lens of short and good sooner than later. I accept that challenge!
It seems that most of life takes place in “quiet, unassuming times and places,” and it’s hard to find the balance between rejoicing always (1 Thess 5:16) and not pursuing my happiness as an end goal. This book has already begun to fuel my “happy protest,” helping me taste God in all the pleasures of life. Ray emphasizes that we don’t pursue happiness, we gratefully RECEIVE it from our Loving Father. “When we turn to God, holding out the empty hands of faith, surrendering to him, that is wisdom. And that is when great things start happening” (pg 5). Our ordinary life is an extraordinary gift from God. Naturally, the idea that life keeps moving on seems debilitating to me. But I’m excited for how refreshing this book seems! I want to enjoy the obvious good when it comes, even if it’s fleeting. I want to see the good in monotony. And I don’t want to let fear or pride or distraction keep me from a “single joy God has for me” (pg 17).
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart…” Ecclesiastes 3:11
Such a great thought: “we don’t pursue happiness, we gratefully receive it”. That is so different from how we normally think of attaining happiness in life. I hope you experience that this summer, seeing gifts from God you hadn’t noticed before and boldly enjoying them. I’m excited to see how God will use this book to sanctify you!
"Seeing the gifts of God"..... years ago I heard someone say that it's amazing that the God who created you, crafted you in such a way to appreciate a certain things. And, throughout life we experience things that God knows we will appreciate, like art, music, weather, a hug from a toddler. What sweet gifts!
I think the view of life always moving is where Ray is trying to get us to land. Because I think this is where we can be great full and rejoice in the little thing. So, let's all lean into greatfulness of the little things.
After listening to the podcast Ray did with his son Gavin about this topic and then reading this chapter I came away with a sense of direction. I have often fallen into the trap of correlating asceticism with Godliness. Renouncing the world is good in a sense, and that is what I have been taught. The flip side of this coin is one I have never really stopped to consider. It's almost a taboo. Ray has started to open my eyes to the blessed enjoyment I have waiting for me.
The quotations from Packer and Lewis on pages 5 and 6 really resonated with me. It is such a happy thought that the pleasures and goodness we encounter in life are not merely illusions, nor are they so fleeting as to be lost forever once the moment has passed. Rather, the fundamental substance of these moments is God’s own everlasting goodness, which we will enjoy fully and eternally when the perfect comes in the redemption of all things.
For those in Christ, all things received from God are received by faith alone. This includes our final salvation, when we see God face to face and our joy is made complete, but it also includes the temporary, partial joys we receive now, as though looking in a mirror dimly. These too are received by faith.
This truth comes as a great relief to me. If true enjoyment of life is received by faith, then it cannot be obtained through works. I am often tempted to create, by my own effort and power, “the good life” for myself. In my experience, this always results in anxiety rather than enjoyment. For by my works, I cannot produce what I truly long for: an enjoyment of life that does not slip away with the passing of time and is secure forever.
But to receive by faith is to enjoy truly. For, as Lewis said, our object of enjoyment is not really the thing itself, but something yet ahead. And because the fullness of that joy is yet to come, we do not have to despair when the foretaste passes. Packer too was right in saying that the Christian is the one who can truly enjoy this life, because our life—and all the meaning and goodness within it—is preserved and secured by Christ.
I am reminded of our Lord’s teaching: truly happy are those who are poor in spirit, who have no power within themselves to obtain the good life, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven—that is, all things and all the promises of God.
I hadn't considered faith in relation to enjoyment in the way you brought out. I love your line, "to receive by faith is to enjoy truly." I know this isn't exactly the direction you were going with it, but I think that is true when receiving earthly delights too. Faith brings the experience of receiving from God to fullness or completion. To receive a gift or blessing from God with faith-filled thanksgiving and faith-filled wisdom to properly steward the gift, is to bring the whole process of God giving and us receiving to completion. If that makes sense?
Along the lines of your thoughts on the Lewis and Packer quotes, I think Ray's description of earthly joys as "prophetic whispers" of our eternal future in Christ is so good. Makes me think of Psalm 16 which says that in God's presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. This is the ultimate fulfilment of all our longings for pleasure and satisfaction, and I think the temporary gifts of God here are meant to draw us up and in to Him, as you said: "which we will enjoy fully and eternally when the perfect comes in the redemption of all things."
** I realized this never posted :)
Hi all! We are grateful to join this book club with you. Joel and I listened to the video with Ray before diving into the book, and we were both refreshed by his take and purpose for writing the book, and yet a little cautious and curious. There are a couple reasons for this. One, I think we both have a church background that has influenced (and tainted) the way we perceive the world around us. We are tempted to think more legalistically about this world, “that’s off limits, that’s wrong, that conversation is too ‘light’, “how could we have possibly glorified God in this?”, equating such things to sin, perhaps when they are NOT. Second, a temptation can be self-indulgance, so we would rather set boundaries for ourselves, as to not be tempted to go overboard in certain areas (like SUGAR, haha!)
Something that resonated with us is the tension that he speaks of on pg. 3, living with a both/and mix. We feel this too! We agree, enjoy the DQ ice cream with grandma, but ALSO, don’t miss the opportunity to share the gospel with the employee at the register at DQ!!! There is a clear call in scripture to live with purpose and intentionality, with care and reverence, something we don’t want to miss in our lives. This verse comes to mind:
“Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
Ephesians 5:16-17 NLT
We are reading Ecclesiastes as we reflect on this book, to better understand and rightly apply these principles. All in all, we think this book will help us increase our appreciation of every God given gift, and not reduce it to something that doesn’t hold value or significance. Why, it’s His, isn’t it?!
Appreciate your self reflection!
Past experience and teaching/thinking that either leans toward the legalistic or towards too much liberty can choke out our ability to live in the wisdom of God's both/and path of life with Him.
I think that's the value of this book, helping us to develop the wisdom to both enjoy every good gift and reject what is not of God, all the while aiming for the contentment of Paul who says he has found "how to be content in all things," in both abundance and in poverty.
This chapter spoke to me about how important it is to be present within our own lives. I feel as though accepting joy dually requires a commitment to presence. I've been focusing recently on disconnecting from my phone/social media, and having the extra attention span available to enjoy my life and surroundings has been very enlightening. I see, hear, and notice so many things I would miss if I was distracted!
Of course, I still find myself occasionally feeling the urge to grab my phone for a photo or video to capture a moment, but the feeling becomes easier to disregard when I weigh my options of enjoying the moment in real time or being removed from the moment so I can try to enjoy repeats of the moment later on. A good comparison might be a fresh meal versus leftovers!
Just reading this, but always appreciate your thoughts, Alyssa!
I've been trying to limit phone usage and distraction lately as well, and have felt generally more at ease in many ways.
It has also given me more opportunity to spend my time in more human ways like talking to my wife and reading a physical book.
It was refreshing to me to hear an opinion of Ecclesiastes focusing on the fact that we should Rejoice in our lives. I really need this in our world currently and the fact that it will get worse before Jesus comes back. So this out look helps us to be thankful for the small way that he has for us to, as Ray says, "Eat, Drink, & Be Merry!"
So thankful that in Christ we always have reason to rejoice despite any worldly circumstance!
And refreshing is the word I've used again and again to describe the message of this book as well. I think you'll find the same as you continue with the rest of the book 👍
Thanks for joining the conversation! You look familiar in your profile picture, were you who I was talking to in the shop from KC during flea market weekend?
No, I was the one who worked in the Browville, Auburn, Nebraska City area and would get an Affogato. I brought my sister in the last week y'all were open.
Gotcha, well we are happy to have you for book club!
I found the simplicity of remembering LIFE IS SHORT AND LIFE IS GOOD kept my mindset on enjoying the “season” (colorful fall) without bemoaning “the next season/winter”
Also it dawned on me…I am more aligned with the author and need to encourage the youth to get into this lens of short and good sooner than later. I accept that challenge!
It seems that most of life takes place in “quiet, unassuming times and places,” and it’s hard to find the balance between rejoicing always (1 Thess 5:16) and not pursuing my happiness as an end goal. This book has already begun to fuel my “happy protest,” helping me taste God in all the pleasures of life. Ray emphasizes that we don’t pursue happiness, we gratefully RECEIVE it from our Loving Father. “When we turn to God, holding out the empty hands of faith, surrendering to him, that is wisdom. And that is when great things start happening” (pg 5). Our ordinary life is an extraordinary gift from God. Naturally, the idea that life keeps moving on seems debilitating to me. But I’m excited for how refreshing this book seems! I want to enjoy the obvious good when it comes, even if it’s fleeting. I want to see the good in monotony. And I don’t want to let fear or pride or distraction keep me from a “single joy God has for me” (pg 17).
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart…” Ecclesiastes 3:11
Thanks for jumping in, Erica!
Such a great thought: “we don’t pursue happiness, we gratefully receive it”. That is so different from how we normally think of attaining happiness in life. I hope you experience that this summer, seeing gifts from God you hadn’t noticed before and boldly enjoying them. I’m excited to see how God will use this book to sanctify you!
"Seeing the gifts of God"..... years ago I heard someone say that it's amazing that the God who created you, crafted you in such a way to appreciate a certain things. And, throughout life we experience things that God knows we will appreciate, like art, music, weather, a hug from a toddler. What sweet gifts!
Erika,
I think the view of life always moving is where Ray is trying to get us to land. Because I think this is where we can be great full and rejoice in the little thing. So, let's all lean into greatfulness of the little things.
After listening to the podcast Ray did with his son Gavin about this topic and then reading this chapter I came away with a sense of direction. I have often fallen into the trap of correlating asceticism with Godliness. Renouncing the world is good in a sense, and that is what I have been taught. The flip side of this coin is one I have never really stopped to consider. It's almost a taboo. Ray has started to open my eyes to the blessed enjoyment I have waiting for me.
Awesome dude! Is there anything you can think of that God has gifted to you that you need to start enjoying with thanksgiving?
The quotations from Packer and Lewis on pages 5 and 6 really resonated with me. It is such a happy thought that the pleasures and goodness we encounter in life are not merely illusions, nor are they so fleeting as to be lost forever once the moment has passed. Rather, the fundamental substance of these moments is God’s own everlasting goodness, which we will enjoy fully and eternally when the perfect comes in the redemption of all things.
For those in Christ, all things received from God are received by faith alone. This includes our final salvation, when we see God face to face and our joy is made complete, but it also includes the temporary, partial joys we receive now, as though looking in a mirror dimly. These too are received by faith.
This truth comes as a great relief to me. If true enjoyment of life is received by faith, then it cannot be obtained through works. I am often tempted to create, by my own effort and power, “the good life” for myself. In my experience, this always results in anxiety rather than enjoyment. For by my works, I cannot produce what I truly long for: an enjoyment of life that does not slip away with the passing of time and is secure forever.
But to receive by faith is to enjoy truly. For, as Lewis said, our object of enjoyment is not really the thing itself, but something yet ahead. And because the fullness of that joy is yet to come, we do not have to despair when the foretaste passes. Packer too was right in saying that the Christian is the one who can truly enjoy this life, because our life—and all the meaning and goodness within it—is preserved and secured by Christ.
I am reminded of our Lord’s teaching: truly happy are those who are poor in spirit, who have no power within themselves to obtain the good life, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven—that is, all things and all the promises of God.
Riley! Beautiful reflection.
I hadn't considered faith in relation to enjoyment in the way you brought out. I love your line, "to receive by faith is to enjoy truly." I know this isn't exactly the direction you were going with it, but I think that is true when receiving earthly delights too. Faith brings the experience of receiving from God to fullness or completion. To receive a gift or blessing from God with faith-filled thanksgiving and faith-filled wisdom to properly steward the gift, is to bring the whole process of God giving and us receiving to completion. If that makes sense?
Along the lines of your thoughts on the Lewis and Packer quotes, I think Ray's description of earthly joys as "prophetic whispers" of our eternal future in Christ is so good. Makes me think of Psalm 16 which says that in God's presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. This is the ultimate fulfilment of all our longings for pleasure and satisfaction, and I think the temporary gifts of God here are meant to draw us up and in to Him, as you said: "which we will enjoy fully and eternally when the perfect comes in the redemption of all things."