Gratitude in Play: 3 Practices From Ecclesiastes 3
Irish playwright and critic
George Bernard Shaw once said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” This thought-provoking quote reminds us of the power of play—something we often neglect as adults. I know from my own experiences, that most of us don’t prioritize play in our lives, viewing it as the work and learning pattern of children.
However, I believe that play is not just essential for children, but for all of us. Sure, play can be taken to excess, leading to laziness, but for most of us, the problem isn’t too much play—it’s far too little. In fact, when we embrace
gratitude in play, we reconnect with a vital part of life that brings joy, rest, and a renewed sense of purpose. I believe play leads to gratitude, and gratitude to a more content life. This blog post, the final in my Four Walls of Gratitude series, explores the role of play in our lives and how gratitude in play can serve as a pathway to deeper well-being.
This blog series has explored the importance of incorporating gratitude into our
work,
worship, and daily
lives. Now, we turn our attention to the role of gratitude in play. As a
blogger focused on living a life shaped by the principles of
1 Thessalonians 4:11, I believe that play—and the gratitude it fosters—can help us lead a quiet life marked by intentionality, balance, and purpose, guiding us through the chaos of the world with renewed peace and clarity.
The Problem of Play
Did you take time to play this week? Many of us likely told our kids or grandkids to go outside and play for a while, or maybe to head to their rooms to play—perhaps because they were being too loud or feeling bored. After all, playing is what kids are supposed to do. But what about us? We might sit down to read for a bit or watch television, yet we’d probably feel lazy if we allowed ourselves to simply play. There are always tasks to finish, projects to manage, rooms to clean, budgets to wrestle, and thoughts to sort through. The idea of taking time to play might feel both childish and like a waste of time.
At the start of this blog, I posted the quote from George Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” While play is often seen as the work and learning pattern of children, it’s not just for them—it’s vital for all of us. Sure, play can be taken to excess, leading to laziness, but for most of us, the problem isn’t too much play—it’s far too little.
We often long to recapture the playful, carefree spirit of childhood. So, what holds us back? More often than not, it’s the routines, habits, and lack of intentionality that keep us from prioritizing play in our lives. Perhaps we feel bad about playing when work is to be done.
Science shows that play helps us become more social, creative, prepared, and fully alive. It enables learning, emotional healing, and even helps us practice gratitude. I came across another thought-provoking quote from
Dennis Waitley that reminds us “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” Happiness is a spiritual experience that happens when we learn to live every moment with gratitude. Gratitude and play are deeply connected. Play and gratitude are interconnected as both invite us to be present, embrace joy, and celebrate life’s gifts. Through play, we cultivate a sense of wonder and appreciation, making space for gratitude to flourish.
The value of play in the scriptures.
There aren’t specific stories that fully address play. However, there are plenty of verses that speak to the values of play recreation throughout both the Old and New Testaments. For example, Zechariah writes about God’s promise of peace and restoration, describing a city where “boys and girls are playing in the streets” (
Zechariah 8:5). Similarly, in
Psalm 104, the psalmist celebrates how God has blessed humanity with wine to gladden the heart, to bring about playfulness, and describes the Leviathan frolicking in the ocean, or as a creature at play in its natural environment.
Constantly working on tasks and our careers depletes us, it takes life and energy from us, but it is play that re-energizes us and lightens our hearts and makes our days more bearable. As
Proverbs 17:22 reminds us, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Taking time to laugh, smile, and play is essential for our well-being. Perhaps when Jesus told his disciples, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (
Matthew 18:3), he had more in mind than just childlike faith—perhaps he might also have been encouraging childlike play. In Scripture, play often leads to joy and a renewed sense of peace, reflecting the harmony God intends for creation and humanity’s purpose.
Isaiah captures this vision of joyful restoration in
Isaiah 55:12: “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Here, nature itself is depicted as participating in playful celebration, a reflection of God’s restoration and creativity. The trees are clapping their hands, extoling playfulness is in the mountains and hills, and a sense of driving happiness and joy is pulling us forward.
Play, then, is not just an activity; it emerges from gratitude, and it is a pathway to experiencing gratitude, joy, and a fuller life. Though we often hesitate to prioritize play when there’s work to be done, God actually gave us a day specifically set apart to refrain from labor: the Sabbath. As Jewish scholar
Pinchas Taylor explains, the Sabbath is “not primarily about physical rest. It is about entering a different state of mind and state of being that transcends the weekdays.”
In this way, Sabbath is the act of play and gratitude. Taylor also notes that Sabbath is “a time to actively engage in higher matters, to enjoy time with family and friends without worldly distractions.” Sabbath is a time to be re-created and re-aligned. While many of the Jewish faith may approach the Sabbath differently, I believe that play and acts of recreation are vital Sabbath practices. Play and gratitude help us connect with God in a way that restores and renews us.
Play re-creates us, allowing us to experience the joy and rest God intended, and we give into gratitude as a result.
Play is not a frivolous or childish activity; it is also a gift from God uses to cultivate joy, creativity, rest, and community. Whether through sports, games, laughter, music, or creative expression, play invites us to experience God’s grace in tangible and joyful ways. Gratitude not only changes how we engage with work, worship, and our surroundings but also influences how we rest, refuel, and rediscover joy in life.
Play re-creates us, allowing us to experience the joy and rest God intended, and we give into gratitude as a result.
Play re-creates us, allowing us to experience the joy and rest God intended, and we give into gratitude as a result.
It’s all meaningless so play.
I invite you to reflect with me on
Ecclesiastes 3. This book is often known for stating that everything is “meaningless” and for declaring that there’s “nothing new under the sun.” However, today, I encourage you to see it not as depressing, but as a thoughtful call to focus on what truly matters in life.
The first verse (
Ecclesiastes 3:1) tells us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” The Teacher goes on to describe many activities we engage in—both in our work and in our lives. So, after reflecting on the search for contentment (Chapters 1 & 2 ) in all the various pursuits of life, the Teacher affirms that every activity has its God-given, eternal purpose. Work has purpose. Schooling has purpose. Yet, play is also one of those activities. There is, and always will be, time for play but also purpose.
In verse
9-10, the Teacher reflects, “What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.” For the Teacher, work carries a weight—it wears us down and can become a burden- it drains us. Then, in
verse 11, the Teacher observes that all of us long for more out of life: “He has also set eternity in the human heart.” Everyone is on a search for meaning and purpose, and this too can feel tiring and burdensome – we are always looking and sojourning.
The resolve is what we must pay attention too. To address the depletion we experience in our busy lives—whether in seasons of work, activity, or our search for deeper meaning—the Teacher suggests a way of being: a way of play and gratitude in verses
3:12-13. The Teacher reflects, “I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.” In this verse, the Teacher draws attention to how finding gratitude and happiness in the present (through a sense of play and recreation) helps us to find God’s blessing behind every moment. The Teacher suggests that play is a gift of God—a gift that invites us into deeper joy and purpose. As we rest in the satisfaction of what we’ve done, we also make room for gratitude in all that’s yet to come.
Scholar
H. L. Ginsberg sees the writer of Ecclesiastes as someone who believes everything – at least up to this point – is strictly predetermined and unchangeable. This rigid way of thinking, he suggests, makes it hard to find real meaning or enjoyment in life. You and I can get like that. We can say there is nothing new under the sun. We can say it is all the same stuff on a different day. Life feels like we work, sleep, and work again. However, in this chapter, the Teacher sees finding gratitude and happiness as a way of helping us to find real contentment, meaning, and enjoyment – breaking the unchangeable miserableness of life. The Teacher’s solution to the problem of life’s vanity is happiness and gratitude (finding satisfaction). Again, the Teacher suggests acts of play to re-create oneself. His point is that,
play re-creates us, allowing us to experience the joy and rest God intended and we give into gratitude as a result.
Life is short and unpredictable, calling us to focus on what truly matters. It is good to “do good” for God and others. However, play is good too, because life’s struggles are universal and timeless, draining, but Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that joy, gratitude, and recreation are not distractions but gifts from God to renew our spirits.
Eugene Peterson captures this idea in
The Message take on this passage, saying, “I’ve decided that there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That’s it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It’s God’s gift.”
This passage emphasizes the importance of finding happiness in life’s rhythms, including work, worship, and play. Play and recreation, or “re-creation,” helps us restore life and meaning, experiencing God’s goodness in creation. By embracing joy, we honor God and strengthen ourselves for life’s toils. Happiness is a divine gift that draws us closer to the Creator.
A reminder in the New Testament
The idea of playful contentment and joy in life’s rhythms, present in Ecclesiastes, is echoed in the New Testament, particularly in
1 Timothy 6:6-8, where Paul teaches that godliness with contentment is great gain. Paul echoes a message like that of the Techer in Ecclesiastes, saying, “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” Both 1 Timothy 6 and Ecclesiastes passages emphasize the beauty of contentment and joy in life’s simple rhythms. Contentment isn’t found in accumulating wealth but in appreciating God’s provision, such as life’s basic necessities – which is often found through restful play. Both passages highlight the connection between gratitude, play, and rejuvenated faith. Both reminds us that satisfaction in life’s essentials, is found in the playful activities such as in food and drink. Together, these teachings invite us to shift our focus from striving for more to embracing simplicity, resting in God’s blessings, and rediscovering joy through gratitude and play.
Three practices from Ecclesiastes 3
John Wanamaker has said, “people who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.”
Thomas Jefferson apparently encouraged people to take the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which he said was as necessary as reading, because health is more than just learning about health. Recreation, an act of re-creating, is physical but also spiritual, it is a spiritual gift from God in this passage and so here are three practical practices from Ecclesiastes 3.
- Take time to play on purpose. Intentionally take time to play, practice what is life-giving and meaningful, honoring God by refreshing your body, mind, and spirit. This is about enjoying the goodness God created in the world. Jesus rested and enjoyed time with the disciples (Mark 6:31), and even the Creator rested after creation (Genesis 2:2-3). Reflect on activities that bring you joy and gratitude—whether it’s time in nature, creating art, playing a sport, or being with loved ones. This week, schedule intentional time for play that reminds you of God’s beauty and provision.
- Take time to play in community. Gratitude grows when shared with others, and play that builds relationships fosters shared joy. Early Christians found joy and gratitude in breaking bread and sharing life together (Acts 2:46-47), blessing their community through their fellowship. Who can you invite into your moments of play? This week, plan a simple gathering—a game night, hike, or shared meal—and reflect together on God’s blessings.
- Play in a way and place that finds gratitude. Play leads to gratitude, transforming ordinary moments of enjoyment into worship. Psalm 104 celebrates creation with joy, praising God’s wisdom and provision: “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all” (Psalm 104:24). As you play, pause to notice and thank God for the beauty around you—whether it’s the laughter of friends, the colors of nature, or the joy of creating. This week, take a moment during your play to reflect on what you’re grateful for.
The medical benefits of play.
Gratitude, as Harvard Medical School
defines it, is recognizing and appreciating goodness in life that comes from outside oneself—and in this sense, gratitude is intertwined with play. Play allows us to enjoy the goodness of life, and gratitude emerges as we take time to engage in it. Research supports this connection: a
2011 study on adult playfulness found that play enhances creativity, fosters an appreciation for beauty, and brings excitement and energy to life. It also contributes to expressive love, hope, humor, and overall well-being.
A
2013 study further revealed that play counteracts stress, promotes physical health, and helps people reframe their lives. As a diabetic, I found a
2019 report particularly impactful, showing that Type 1 diabetics who engaged in play experienced improved moods, greater support, and deeper connections with others. Across these studies, play consistently enhances life satisfaction, which in turn nurtures gratitude by helping us recognize and appreciate what we have, shifting our perspective and fostering contentment in all areas of life. There are important health reasons to practice gratitude in play. Even more, there are spiritual reasons as well.
Final Thoughts
Play is essential to living with a spirit of gratitude. It offers not only a way to rest, but also a way to reconnect with God’s creation and God’s joy. Gratitude leads us to notice the goodness of God at play in our world. Play offers healing, joy, and deep satisfaction, and it encourages us to embrace the fullness of life as we grow in our faith. How are you engaging in play this week? How might you cultivate moments of rest and joy with gratitude as you experience God’s blessings? This week, and next, reclaim moments of play in your life. Let gratitude shape them. Let joy fill them. And in doing so, you will find yourself re-created and restored.
