I’ve heard it said, “Life is short, eat the cookie.” The older I get the more I realize just how true this is. Adults worry too much about their obligations that they rarely have time to just relax and eat a cookie, especially one high in calories.
Before I continue, let me post some disclaimers first. God should always come first in our lives. We should live to serve Him. And by serving Him I mean follow Christ’s example of how to love our neighbor as ourselves. We should feed the poor, extend our hands to the orphans and widows, treat animals with respect, take care of the Earth, be responsible, productive members of society, set aside malice, gossip, lying, and hate. The great commission of spreading the good news of the gospel of Christ should be a major priority in our lives.
Okay, all that said, we should still enjoy life. Jesus said so. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 NKJV
What else does God say about enjoying life?
“I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 3: 12-13
“For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while.” Romans 15: 24
“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” 1 Timothy 6:17
“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” Psalm 51:12
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11
“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them.” Psalm 126:2
“A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the Lord for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” Isaiah 55:11-13
“For you shall go out with joy and be led out with peace.”
God wants your life to be filled with joy and peace. I realize life can be tough sometimes. With work to do, bills to pay, family obligations to tend to, deadlines to meet… All this can be distractions from the joy and peace God meant for you to have. And with all this comes worry. Worry is the biggest deterrent from joy. Learn the art of trusting in Him to take care of you. Even the sparrow is taken care of by its Creator. How much more will God take care of you if you put your trust in Him.
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” Matthew 6: 25-27 NKJV
Remember to, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” God knows what you have need of even before you do. So let Him take care of you so you are in a better position to have and enjoy life.
And while you’re at it, sit back, relax and eat the cookie!
In His Service,
Rebecca Hamilton, Founder/ Executive Director
For Every Great Battle, There is a Great Victory!!