Ecclesiastes

Whenever I thought of Ecclesiastes prior to this last week, I just assumed it was a depressing book of the Bible where Solomon just complained about how everything is meaningless. I thought he regretted everything he did in life and was telling us how nothing matter. Alas, when I read through it this week, my perspective changed about it.

While he still talks about everything being meaningless, I see it with a different mindset. Instead of just trying to depress us, he is trying to say everything apart from God is meaningless. You can have all the wisdom in the world, all the pleasures, all the "stuff," and still feel like you're missing something. There is nothing in this world that can fill that void in your heart. Except God.

I think I liked reading this a lot more this time because he just states that in the end of it all, we will all be in the same place. Whether rich or poor, wise or foolish, we will all die the same death and be put to the same judgement. Nothing of this world will go with us once we die. That really makes me think. Despite the world's claims about the need to get rich and "be happy," what really matters? Because in 50, 60, or if you're lucky, 80 years, you're going to die. And guess what? All that wealth you accumulated....worthless. Your job title...worthless. With that in mind, what should be doing instead? Perhaps be ministers for Christ in everything we do?

I'm not trying to say that every person who's a Christian needs to be a missionary in Africa for the rest of their lives. People can and should be in the working world in order to minister to those people (there are a lot of them in America) as well as support those who are called to professional ministry. Romans 12:6-8 says:

⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. ⁷If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Each person is called to a different aspect of the ministry. Some are called to serve, some teach, some to contribute. If you know God is calling you in one direction, however crazy it sounds to you, do it! Now back to Ecclesiastes.

Solomon goes through 12 chapters of talking about how meaningless life is and how we all end up the same. Yet he concludes with the most important point of the entire book.

¹³ Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the whole duty of man.

¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment,

including every hidden thing,

whether it is good or evil.

It doesn't get much clearer than that. Fear God and keep his commandments. Got it. Now I just need to remind myself of that everyday. God is bigger and better than: myself, my stuff, what clothes I'm wearing, where I'm working, what I'm studying, USC football, etc. If reading Counterfeit Gods was any inclination, I have so many idols in my life it's disgusting.

Like I've said many times, life is so much better when you are in close community with God. Why I don't actively pursue that every day is beyond me. It's really dumb of me, that's for sure. Just like any other relationship, my relationship with God needs to be active. I want to hang out with God more. He is way better than anything I can experience from this world.

In other news, I've been in Hawaii for the last week and get back to the mainland tomorrow so (again, hopefully) expect more consistent blog posts. Writing these are a huge blessing to me, and hopefully they are for you too. Aloha!

How can anyone say there isn't a God? Waimea Bay