Ecclesiastes 3.
No doubt, there is a time for everything. As much as we'd like to think we can control life and have things done in our timing, it behooves us to accept the fact that there is a Godly rhythm to life that reflects His sovereign control, so we should just relax. He is completely good all the time and can be trusted in all things. He can help us with our lack of vision and understanding, when things don't seem to go our way. We would do well to practice "not my will, Lord, but Yours". I was led to Galatians 2:20 again this week, "I've been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Also, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Rom. 12:1-2) Remember our guiding principle in this study: when we really want to live for His glory and not ours, the Holy Spirit is empowered to influence.
Ah, how we need that message of encouragement to not conform to the pattern of this world. There really should be a difference in a disciple of Christ compared to a worldly individual. Teach this to your kids. Live it out as their example. This is a most valiant calling, worthy of our best effort. It's what Solomon needed to hear, as he faced major disillusionment after his many meaningless and unsatisfying, worldly pursuits. We need our Savior's help here: God has set eternity in our hearts. He planted the awareness of eternity in our design and in creation, yet there is this giant frustration as human beings are limited in their understanding and independent ability to be good, spiritually. We just can't quite see with good enough spiritual vision and we just can't quite understand how the Spirit interacts with the physical life. We get glimpses that indeed prompt us to faith in Christ, and thank the Lord for those encouragements! Plus, we are inherently selfish and sinful by design, so there is a constant frustration of sinning when we don't want to anymore. Grace. He designed us to only be satisfied by Him, so in a weird way, the frustration is a God-made set up for our failure, intended to drive us to dependence on Him and His amazing grace. He is the only Way we can have success. Without Him, we got nothin'. That's good stuff.
Solomon mentions corrupt courts and government in verse 15. We face the same issues around the world today. He is looking at life through lenses of worldliness, without spiritual hope of eternity. It's all meaningless. We share the same fate as animals who return to the dust they were created from. The same hopelessness leads him to state there is nothing better for us to do than to just enjoy our work. Then we die and no one will remember us. Also, we can't control who takes over our stuff when we are gone. Looking at life through worldly eyes is like wearing dark sunglasses inside- not good.
The truth is, apart from Jesus, we only have questions, confusions, controversies, debates, disillusionment, and hopelessness. Pray we are spared many wasted years in pursuit of meaningless, worldly activities, hobbies, endeavors, strivings, goals, achievements, pleasure, houses, cars, spouses, partying, etc. Please, Lord, set us free from wrong thinking, desire of status, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Give us the vision to truly see what's important.
