Go Ahead and Enjoy Your Life - The Crosswalk Devotional - September 25

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Go Ahead and Enjoy Your Life
By: Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading:
“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.” - Ecclesiastes 9:7, NIV

My favorite way to get together with my friends is to enjoy lunch together. I regularly make reservations at various restaurants to meet each friend one-on-one. There’s something about eating a good meal that helps us especially enjoy our time together. At lunch, we can relax and be fully present with each other, rather than getting distracted by the items on our to-do lists. We can savor our food by eating mindfully and savor our conversations by listening well to each other. As we do, we’re free from stress and able to fully embrace the joy God offers in that experience. We could eat shorter and less expensive lunches if we just ate at home while talking on the phone together. But we don’t feel guilty about our restaurant lunches, because we know that eating our food with gladness together is always a good choice.

Have you ever felt guilty for enjoying something when you could have made a more practical choice? Maybe you went to see a sports game or a theater show in person, even though the tickets were expensive and you could have just watched TV instead. Maybe you took a day trip to a place you’ve wanted to visit for a while, instead of spending the day getting caught up on chores or errands. When you’re busy, it’s easy to feel like you always need to be practical and productive. But finding joy in life is also important, because God wants you to live life to the fullest. 

This verse from Ecclesiastes can remind you that God is a loving Father who loves to see you enjoy life. God has already approved of the happiness you get from a delicious dinner, a fun concert, or a trip to a museum with your family. Experiences like those aren’t distractions from your spiritual life; they’re a part of it. 

God is at work all around you, all the time. You can discover the wonder of God’s work every day – in nature, in the love that flows between you and your family and friends, and in many other experiences. You just need to make time to look for it. Paying attention to God’s wonderful work around you is easier when you’re not rushed and stressed. When you choose to go ahead and enjoy life day by day, you’ll naturally start to notice more of what God is doing in your life. 

So, go ahead. Enjoy your food with gladness. Drink your wine (or your water, or your tea) with a joyful heart. Embrace all the fun and adventure you can – and don’t feel guilty for it. God has already approved what you do! He wants you to find joy in your life, to see how that joy comes from the wonder of his work, and to be grateful for every single blessing he gives you. 

Enjoying your life on a regular basis is just as important spiritually as your regular spiritual practices, like prayer, reading the Bible, and going to church. Give yourself permission to enjoy your life. God has already given you his approval to enjoy the life he has so graciously given you! 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider how important it is to enjoy life, reflect on these questions:

How often do you feel guilty for simply enjoying something? Why do you think that is? 

What’s one action you can take today to look for the wonder of God’s work in your life? 

Think of a time recently when you felt a sense of pure joy. What was happening, and how can you see God working through that experience? 

What’s the difference between simple enjoyment and reckless indulgence? 

In what ways does finding joy in everyday life strengthen your relationship with God?

Further Reading:
1 Timothy 6:17
Psalm 16:11
Proverbs 17:22
Psalm 34:8
James 1:17

Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Matthew Hamilton 


headshot of author Whitney HoplerWhitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Related Resource: Relapse, Trauma, and the Power of Community

Caroline Beidler still vividly remembers cracking open her first beer under a big oak tree. She was 11. In this episode of Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic, host Jon Seidl sits down with Beidler—managing editor of recovery.com, author, and addiction recovery advocate—to explore her powerful story of childhood trauma, early addiction, spiritual awakening, relapse, and ultimate restoration through faith and community. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, share this podcast or follow Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

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Go Ahead and Enjoy Your Life - The Crosswalk Devotional - September 25

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

The Crosswalk Devotional updated banner logo

Go Ahead and Enjoy Your Life
By: Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading:
“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.” - Ecclesiastes 9:7, NIV

My favorite way to get together with my friends is to enjoy lunch together. I regularly make reservations at various restaurants to meet each friend one-on-one. There’s something about eating a good meal that helps us especially enjoy our time together. At lunch, we can relax and be fully present with each other, rather than getting distracted by the items on our to-do lists. We can savor our food by eating mindfully and savor our conversations by listening well to each other. As we do, we’re free from stress and able to fully embrace the joy God offers in that experience. We could eat shorter and less expensive lunches if we just ate at home while talking on the phone together. But we don’t feel guilty about our restaurant lunches, because we know that eating our food with gladness together is always a good choice.

Have you ever felt guilty for enjoying something when you could have made a more practical choice? Maybe you went to see a sports game or a theater show in person, even though the tickets were expensive and you could have just watched TV instead. Maybe you took a day trip to a place you’ve wanted to visit for a while, instead of spending the day getting caught up on chores or errands. When you’re busy, it’s easy to feel like you always need to be practical and productive. But finding joy in life is also important, because God wants you to live life to the fullest. 

This verse from Ecclesiastes can remind you that God is a loving Father who loves to see you enjoy life. God has already approved of the happiness you get from a delicious dinner, a fun concert, or a trip to a museum with your family. Experiences like those aren’t distractions from your spiritual life; they’re a part of it. 

God is at work all around you, all the time. You can discover the wonder of God’s work every day – in nature, in the love that flows between you and your family and friends, and in many other experiences. You just need to make time to look for it. Paying attention to God’s wonderful work around you is easier when you’re not rushed and stressed. When you choose to go ahead and enjoy life day by day, you’ll naturally start to notice more of what God is doing in your life. 

So, go ahead. Enjoy your food with gladness. Drink your wine (or your water, or your tea) with a joyful heart. Embrace all the fun and adventure you can – and don’t feel guilty for it. God has already approved what you do! He wants you to find joy in your life, to see how that joy comes from the wonder of his work, and to be grateful for every single blessing he gives you. 

Enjoying your life on a regular basis is just as important spiritually as your regular spiritual practices, like prayer, reading the Bible, and going to church. Give yourself permission to enjoy your life. God has already given you his approval to enjoy the life he has so graciously given you! 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider how important it is to enjoy life, reflect on these questions:

How often do you feel guilty for simply enjoying something? Why do you think that is? 

What’s one action you can take today to look for the wonder of God’s work in your life? 

Think of a time recently when you felt a sense of pure joy. What was happening, and how can you see God working through that experience? 

What’s the difference between simple enjoyment and reckless indulgence? 

In what ways does finding joy in everyday life strengthen your relationship with God?

Further Reading:
1 Timothy 6:17
Psalm 16:11
Proverbs 17:22
Psalm 34:8
James 1:17

Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Matthew Hamilton 


headshot of author Whitney HoplerWhitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Related Resource: Relapse, Trauma, and the Power of Community

Caroline Beidler still vividly remembers cracking open her first beer under a big oak tree. She was 11. In this episode of Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic, host Jon Seidl sits down with Beidler—managing editor of recovery.com, author, and addiction recovery advocate—to explore her powerful story of childhood trauma, early addiction, spiritual awakening, relapse, and ultimate restoration through faith and community. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, share this podcast or follow Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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