My afternoon watch (the portions of scripture that I read post-lunch) has had me in the book of Ecclesiastes the past couple of days. In my afternoon watch, Ecclesiastes gets read about every four weeks. In other words, I’ve read it quite a bit.
However….
God has put a new pair of glasses on my head for this time through it.
All too often, we read Ecclesiastes from an understanding of Solomon (The Teacher) as a “grumpy old man.” He’s growing older. He’s lived through a successful kingship. He understands the world is a difficult place, and clearly expresses frustrations — largely of his own making (aren’t they often such?). On the surface, it reminds me of an old grandpa telling his grandkids how not to screw their life up.
But there’s more to it than that.
Solomon is not merely cautioning us to not do what he did, but rather he is exhorting us to never forget from whence we came. (Remember your Creator in the days of your youth… – Ecclesiastes 12:1 NIV) He desires for us to understand that life is not about us. It goes deeper than that. He views life as something that shouldn’t be wasted on vain pursuits.
Vain pursuits…
You know…
Things like…
- Successful career
- Big bank account
- New car
- New house
- Brand-name clothes
- Brand-name food
- 42″ 3D TV
- Etc…
Rather, Solomon shows us through story, metaphor, simile, and exhortation that in the end all that matters is how you treat God, and how you treat people.
Hmmm… That sounds familiar.
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” — Matthew 22:37-39
If you kept those words close to you as you go through life how would it change your thought/decision/action process?
- Would you measure the success of your career by the size of your paycheck, or your title?
- Would you view your bank account as a place to horde your loot, or as a holding place while you search for somewhere to give it all away?
- Would you buy a new car, or keep driving the one you have?
- Would you buy a new house even though you already have one? (Maybe if you weren’t buying as much stuff, you wouldn’t need a bigger house anyway.)
- Would you “have to have” the latest brand-name clothes, or would you be content to wear what you have? Would you keep shopping at Macy’s, Dillards, and Saks, or would Savers and Goodwill do just fine?
- Would you keep buying Cheerios or would Toasted Oats suffice?
- Would you insist on looking silly by wearing those giant 3D googles in your own living room?
In the end, it’s all about pride. Solomon teaches us that the pursuit of things is vainglory, while the pursuit of God is where life is truly lived to the fullest.
