Taking Pleasure

There are some very small things that give me very great pleasure. I love noticing how the colors of my robe match the colors on my pajamas in the morning. I love the pungent smell of Earl Gray tea when I tear open the packet containing my morning teabag. I love drinking water from my large stemmed glass. And I love watching the birds at the feeder while I eat my solitary lunch.

"Taking pleasure" sounds hedonistic. It seems to emphasize "taking" over "giving" and "pleasure" over "contentment." But there's absolutely nothing wrong with taking pleasure in God's small and His greater gifts. It's when we develop an attitude of thankfulness for even the smallest of God's gifts that we are able to live in a state of continual doxology.

If man's chief end is to love God and enjoy Him forever, which it is, that must include taking pleasure in small things and thanking God for them as well as for the more obvious blessings from His loving hand.