Ecclesiastes 2:1-2
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?”

Life “under the sun” in this fallen world can be a grind. We live on a rollercoaster of joy, sorrow, satisfaction, and disappointment, ready to take on the world and total exhaustion. So, Solomon self-counseled himself to dive into the deep end of pleasure. This deep dive is called hedonism.  

Hedonism, mentioned earlier in our study through Ecclesiastes, is a philosophy of life motivated by the desire for pleasure. Hedonism believes that satisfying one’s desires is the highest good and aim of humanity. Hedonism is a life that sprints toward self-gratification. As the old beer commercial said, “You only go around once in life, so grab for all the gusto you can get.” Hedonism is a life of indulgence. If a little of something is good, a little more is better, and too much is just right. The theme of hedonism is “bigger, better, faster.” A bigger house. A better car. A faster boat.

Many believers (yes, believers) show signs of hedonism. We (I include myself) can get caught up in the pull of materialism. Money is not the issue. It’s the love of money, the desire for money, that we chase. It’s the desire for things that gets us into trouble. And today, with a few clicks on my iPhone, I can have a plethora of items delivered right to my door. The immersion in enjoyment and entertainment (and getting our kids involved in sports, music, dance, etc.) pulls our hearts away. We would never admit that we are hedonistic, of course. We don’t raise our hands and sing songs to money, possessions, and our favorite sports teams at our worship services, but, honestly, sometimes, a survey of our week’s actions outweighs our worship attempts. Hedonism breeds those that are only weekend worshipers. 

Solomon had the power and money to try it all. And after trying it all, he concluded that pleasure-seeking is useless, vanity, and even madness. Hedonism—whether we are all in or just dabbling around the edges—takes us away from the only One who can provide true joy, the only One who can fill the hole in our hearts. Scripture is God’s love letter written to teach us. Let’s learn from Solomon and avoid the hard consequences of hedonism. 

Father, we live in a culture where the temptation of hedonism is strong. Convict us when we move toward the worship of money, possessions, and pleasure. Forgive us for our sins. And give us the strength to let our weekday actions match our weekend worship. In Jesus’ name. Amen.