Sakia Ervin reminded me of a passage in Ecclesiastes recently. "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
With so many catastrophes, murders, and hatred in recent months, a valid question to consider is what is worth living for? Why do we press on in life? What makes the world of a Christian continue to turn amidst such pain?
The author of Ecclesiastes shows us a valuable understanding of life by answering a primary question: What is worth living for? He runs a real life experiment by trying to find satisfaction in each of these things and determines by the process of elimination that none of it is worth living for…
Pleasure? No, it gains you nothing that can carry past death. Eccles 2:11
Wisdom? No, for the wise man dies just like the fool. Eccles 2:16
Work? No, you have no rest while you live, and you have to leave it all to someone else who may destroy it after you’re gone. Eccles 2:21-23
Honor? No, there is always someone with more honor than you. Eccles 5:8
Wealth? No, as you earn more, you spend more, then you leave it to someone when you die. Eccles 5:11
In the end, he desperately concludes that everything is vanity. In other words, it’s all meaningless. There is nothing in this world that can bring ultimate joy, peace, and satisfaction. We must look outside of this world for purpose.
"The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Fearing God. Keeping his commandments. Recognizing that He rules and reigns. He is the One who orders the stars to be put in place and tells the rain when to come. He is the One who sets the boundary lines for man… do not pass this line. And He is the One who provides forgiveness for our sin and cover for our shame.
In Christ, we gain forgiveness, healing, restoration, renewal, and strength. We are given a mission - a purpose - to proclaim his name and this gospel to the ends of the earth. There are people everywhere trying to create meaning out of those meaningless pursuits. Will we tell them and show them where their true meaning lies? May it be true of us that we are satisfied in Him and help others say the same.
Kristen Ferguson