Life is Short: Embracing Joy in the Fleeting Days

Light is sweet. It's pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. These simple words from Ecclesiastes 11 carry profound weight for how we approach our brief time on earth. In a culture that either obsesses over death or refuses to acknowledge it altogether, ancient wisdom offers a third way—one that looks mortality square in the face while simultaneously embracing the gift of each new day.

Every morning we wake up breathing is a gift. It sounds almost too simple to mention, yet how often do we actually treat it that way? We rush through our days, annoyed by flat tires and bad moods, treating life as something to get through rather than something to celebrate. But the teacher in Ecclesiastes doesn't let us off that easy.

In the Bible, light consistently symbolizes joy, hope, life itself, and God's presence among us. Before street lamps and electricity, darkness meant uncertainty—you literally couldn't see what lay ahead. Night represented fear and sorrow because vision was limited to the small circle of a flickering candle's glow.

Some of us feel like we're living in that darkness right now. We can't see down the road. We're uncertain about what's coming. The future feels obscured, frightening even. But here's the tension that Ecclesiastes holds so beautifully: Light is sweet, AND there will be dark days. Both realities exist simultaneously.

"If a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many."

This isn't pessimism—it's realism wrapped in wisdom. There will be days when you wake up already in a bad mood, when your back hurts, when everything seems to go wrong at once. Wisdom doesn't ignore these realities. It doesn't pretend that life is all sunshine and roses. But wisdom also refuses to let the dark days rob us of joy in the present moment.

Earlier in Ecclesiastes, the teacher writes: "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone. The living should take this to heart." Wisdom doesn't ignore death. Wisdom doesn't obsess over death. Wisdom rejoices in the days we have.

"Rejoice, young people, while you're young. Let your hearts be glad in the days of your youth."

This isn't a casual invitation—it's a command. Whether you consider yourself young or not (and that's for you to decide), the call remains: Rejoice. Be glad. Walk in the ways of your heart and the desires of your eyes.
But there's a crucial caveat: "Know that for all these things, God will bring you into judgment."

This isn't an invitation to hedonism—to the "you only live once" mentality that justifies selfish pleasure-seeking. From the very beginning in Genesis, humanity has struggled to discern good from evil on our own. We're simply not very good at it. So while we're called to enjoy life, we're also called to live within boundaries, to live according to God's will and way.

And here's the beautiful truth: It's not just about avoiding sin. Some people reduce faith to a checklist—don't do this, don't do that, be a good person. But remember the rich young ruler who came to Jesus claiming he'd kept all the commandments? Jesus still found something: "Sell all you have and give to the poor." No matter how good we are, there's always something we're holding onto, something that keeps us from complete surrender.

That's why we need Jesus—not as a moral teacher, but as Savior. He died to purchase us out of slavery to sin so we could have eternal life. Rejoicing isn't about being happy all the time; happiness is a feeling that comes and goes. Rejoicing is about being in Christ, whether we're having a bad day or not.

"Remove sorrow from your heart; put away pain from your body."

The Hebrew word for sorrow encompasses grief, bitterness, and anger—all those toxic emotions that take root in our souls and choke out life. We're commanded to put away evil and destructive habits. Why? Because youth is fleeting. Strength will fade. Life is like trying to grasp smoke—you simply can't hold onto it.

Don't waste time being weighed down by bitterness and anger. Don't let regret steal your joy.

Someone reading this right now knows exactly what that feels like. Something has stolen your joy. Maybe it's anger, depression, unforgiveness, or bitterness. Life is too short to waste on that nonsense.

Here's the thing about joy: it's a fruit of the Spirit, which means it must be cultivated. It doesn't just happen. If you leave a garden unattended, you don't get beautiful flowers—you get weeds and thorns. The same is true of our hearts.

We call ourselves "overthinkers," but often what we really mean is that we think constantly about negative things—all the bad scenarios, all the hurts, all the disappointments. That's not overthinking; that's focusing on the wrong things. It's staring at the weeds and letting them choke out everything good.

Joy requires cultivation. It needs water—prayer, Scripture, community, worship. These spiritual disciplines don't save us, but they provide the living water we need to grow.

What joy do you need to reclaim today?

Remember when you first encountered the love of Jesus Christ? That excitement, that urgency to tell everyone about the One who loves you despite everything you've done? Over time, that passion can fade. We stop talking about Him. The relationship becomes second nature, and we forget the wonder of it all.

Maybe you're in a dark night right now. Maybe depression has worked its way in so deeply that you're thinking everyone would be better off without you. But God has given you the gift of life. Don't let lies and wicked thoughts convince you otherwise.

What bitterness do you need to set aside? What unforgiveness do you need to release? A heart unwilling to forgive is a heart not ready to receive forgiveness. The only person truly hurt by holding grudges is yourself.

Are you living each day as a gift, rejoicing in the light God has given? Or are you just getting through, surviving rather than thriving?

Life is fleeting. Death is certain. Youth fades. But joy is commanded. So rejoice in God's good gifts. Remove the sorrow. Remember the Creator. Focus on cultivating love, joy, and peace—the fruits that the Holy Spirit longs to grow in you.

Light is sweet. Don't waste another day in unnecessary darkness.