Pleasure is a good thing, a great thing. God wired us to enjoy relationships, laugh, and experience life to the fullest. All things are beautiful when experienced the way God intended. But in this fallen world, in this “life under the sun,” we can pervert pleasure into a god, using money, possessions, and experiences to fill our hearts. And sometimes, we use the things “under the sun” to escape our pain. 

Ecclesiastes 2:3
I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life.

Hedonism, as we discussed yesterday, is a philosophy of life motivated by the desire for pleasure. We can become enamored by and even worship things that bring instant or lingering, but not lasting, gratification. But hedonism has two sides. Some people sprint toward experiences that bring a sense of enjoyment. Some, still in the land of hedonism, escape to the things that dull the pain. 

Solomon decided to cheer himself with wine. In other words, he tried to dull the pain of “life under the sun.” Escapism is a form of hedonism that runs from reality, and there are many places to run. Some live for the weekend party and party hard. Some run to entertainment and laugh loudly. Some grab a bottle and drink themselves into a numbed or unconscious state. Others take a pill, or snort some heroin, or stick a needle in their arm and enter another world for a time. These are low-hanging examples of escapism. But let’s not stop. Here are some socially acceptable forms of escapism. 

Fanatism. Being a fan is one thing; being a fanatic is another. The latter is a person who becomes absorbed with a sport or a team. They know all the players and follow them on social media. They listen to all the sports programs and, basically, live their lives through their favorite athletes. They play all the digital versions of the sport. What started as fun became an obsession. 

Binge Watching. Binge-watching shows or series has always been a “thing.” But that “thing” became an escape room during the pandemic. Some hole up for hours in the evening and on weekends to escape from their lives and into the lives of the characters of their favorite episodes. And weirdly, we can even start acting or thinking like some of the characters. Yes, that’s weird. And, yes, that’s real (it’s called “character bonding” or “personate.” If it is a fictional character, it’s called “fictionkin.”) 

Hobbies. Hobbies are refreshing and emotionally rebooting unless we use them for hedonistic escape. From classic cars to motorcycles, from quilting to cooking, from golf to pickleball, some live for their hobbies instead of using their hobbies for more healthy living. 

Hedonism, in all its forms, is a life that leaves God out. Learn from Solomon—hedonism is a dead-end street that occupies our time during our few days on earth. Bottom line: You can’t serve God and other stuff. 

Father, when we fill our lives with pleasure or escape from reality, we can’t hear you in the present circumstance of our lives. We miss your voice calling us closer in our joys and comforting us in our pain. Help us not to indulge or escape. Help us to follow hard after you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.