Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: A Gospel Call to Bold Enjoyment

Surprising Wisdom for Living Well in a Broken World

Enjoying the human journey through this world can seem impossible. So much is going wrong in these dark days. And the daily personal demands never let up. Who has the time—much less the freedom of heart—to play, to laugh, to delight? What’s more, those following Christ can also feel duty-bound to live in sacrificial austerity.

But God’s strategy for wise living includes bold enjoyment. In fact, any “Christianity” that feels embarrassed about enjoying God’s good gifts dishonors him and leaves Christians with less to give their suffering world.

With a pastor’s heart, Ray Ortlund invites readers to embrace God’s strategy for facing reality and living well. Meditating on Ecclesiastes 11:9–10, Ortlund explains how following Christ here in this world is a nuanced mix of both suffering and happiness. Ecclesiastes is a gospel call to accept the suffering and to savor the happiness—and savor it boldly.

• Delivers a Gospel Call to Enjoyment: Pastor Ray Ortlund reminds readers that God not only allows us enjoyment but even commands it
• Wise Insights: Offers an extended meditation on Ecclesiastes 11:9–10, enriched with personal anecdotes and wisdom from Christians of the past
• Countercultural: Affirms the actual joys God has placed in everyday life, defying today’s cynical and sometimes hyperspiritual culture

"Ray masterfully shows us from Ecclesiastes that one of God’s great desires for us is in these short lives we’ve been given is the enjoyment of his grace found in the everyday and the ordinary.”
—Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor, The Village Church, Flower Mound, Texas

“Few voices today resonate with a delicate balance of pastoral care, biblical clarity, and personal authenticity. But thankfully, the Lord has given us Ray Ortlund, who calls the church to spiritual maturity and also to abundant, joy-filled living. He has exemplified this refreshing sacred assignment for many decades—following Christ with integrity, leading the church passionately, and loving his family whole-heartedly while making space to simply enjoy the life God has given to him. I’m thankful for Ray’s example and for the holy reminder in the pages of this book to milk the goodness out of life for the glory of God.”
—Priscilla Shirer, author; Bible teacher

Format: Paperback