Ecclesiastes 6.
"But Daddy, I neeeeed it soooo badly!", the wanton daughter begs. "Do you really need it or do you just want it?", the dad points out again to this latest urge. It's an age old battle for all of us. Adults are not that much different from youth in this area. We struggle with needs versus wants. We fight against the urges of our flesh. The prince of this world is continually busy with temptations of his marketing schemes. We must be tough in this. Ecclesiastes helps by giving us clearer vision of what life really is about and what truly is important.
What good would it be to gain the world, but lose our souls? Think about that and let it sink in. How are you living? What are you pursuing? What is your source of satisfaction? Where do you get your value, esteem, confidence, and identity? Is it from people, status, reputation, riches, comforts, pleasures, entertainment, achievements, accomplishments, accolades, and the like? Jesus is beckoning us to let that stuff go, and turn to Him as our true and lasting source of satisfying all of those things we crave.
This is going to be a life-long battle between what we want, what we need, and where we go to get it. We must find real faith and trust in God for providing us those things. His calling includes our denying of ourselves and our flesh. It involves taking up our cross daily and following Him. It requires repelling of the pursuit of the world and its desires. It is a matter of heart, where the daily transaction is evident in our prayer life, "Not my will, but Yours, Lord. I want what You want. What do You want in my situations? What's on Your heart about these things?"
Our minds should be renewed to the point they are more on heavenly things than earthly things. C.S. Lewis said, "If heaven is real then that's all that matters. If it isn't real, nothing really matters." We are here on Earth but for a very brief amount of time. Heaven is for eternity. When we get there, that's all that will matter. Be motivated to think more about heaven and being with Jesus, even while still here on Earth. It will help keep things in perspective, maintaining the big-picture mindset. In heaven, every goal, desire, and need will be satisfied beyond what we can imagine. Let's trust Him for that reality, so we don't feel obligated to run to the world for those things. There's just too much thinking about this life, and not enough thinking about the next life. We get so wrapped up, stressed out, depressed, and swayed by the things of this life. Let them go and don't take things so seriously. Trust God in all those things. Be content with your lot in life. This place ain't it anyway. Be free to enjoy what comes your way. Don't stress over what doesn't work out like you thought. Roll with the flow and walk with Jesus through this brief earthly journey. Realize that He is right there with you! That should really change the way you think and act! That should dispel fears and discouragements and lead you to have confidence and satisfaction while going through some of these hard times. Jesus said we would have trouble here. He warned us that since the world hated Him, it will hate us as well. Why, then would we enslave ourselves to it? Set your hearts on things above, for the world and its desires are passing away. Again, Ecclesiastes is a bit depressing, like the blues, but is beneficial and necessary to empower us for spiritual success, learning, and direction.
