UNDER THE SUN
In Ecclesiastes 1:3-11 Solomon describes the pursuits of life under the sun like something that has been repeated over and over again throughout history. It is as repetitive as the sun rising in the morning and setting in the evening, only to repeat the cycle again the very next day. Is there meaning in this repetition? Is there even a purpose to this life other than striving after the same vain and empty pursuits that mankind has sought for years and years? With a surface level glance, it would seem that the greatest things a person could obtain in life are wealth, fame, comfort and security… Even followers of Jesus pursue knowledge about God and the Bible, or even God’s calling in life as though there’s this one moment in which they are living for and never seeing that God calls them in every present moment… what are these worth when life comes to an end? The person’s life will be lived and forgotten, just like those of thousands before them (Ecc. 2:18-22).
Ecclesiastes 6:1-6 describes how under the sun, or here on earth, there is an evil that is most grievous. When a person has all the riches, popularity, and possessions he could possibly desire, but rather than being satisfied with his comfort and luxuries, he is discontent, always dwelling on what could add to his comfort. Always searching in vain for that one thing that will complete him. What a miserable way to live, never truly being still enough to enjoy one’s gift, always wanting more.
But rather than grieving what has been done under the sun throughout mankind’s vaporish time on earth, and the empty pursuits of people who seem to chase that which doesn’t satisfy, people are called to live in the moment because God placed them here for a purpose, not to spend their lives grieving over other’s lack of life, not to spend their lives striving, but living and enjoying what God has given them to enjoy (Ecc. 9:7-10)! We’ve heard it said that we cannot change anyone, only ourselves… and it’s true. Once we ourselves start truly living for what is worthy of our heart’s pursuit without seeking to satisfy our longing for belonging and significance in things that will never fulfill those needs, then other people will see the beauty in the fullness of life, and they too may be challenged to evaluate what they are living for.
“The life of faith is lived one day at a time, and it has to be lived – not always looked forward to as though the ‘real’ living were around the next corner. It is today for which we are responsible. God still owns tomorrow.” ~Elisabeth Elliot
Life or Vanity?
So what is the difference between pursuing the fullness of life and pursuing vanity? Firstly, many people read the word vanity and think that it means meaningless or worthless… but that’s actually a poor translation. The original word used here actually means vapor or mist, like one who tries to grab hold of smoke but it simply vanishes away, not able to be contained. As it says in Ecclesiastes 1:14, many things in life are compared to striving after wind. One can chase it to the ends of the earth, one can attempt to grasp it in his hands, but in the end it leads to nothing. It is vain. Empty. Many people try and satisfy themselves with things that only leave them dissatisfied and still searching for something to fill their natural longing to have significance and belonging and safety. Solomon in Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 recognizes that all the pleasure that he spent his life seeking and building, all the women, vineyards, parks, slaves, success, authority, amounted to nothing more than a striving after wind. It didn’t satisfy. It left him empty.
So what DOES bring the fullness of life? What IS worth chasing after?
In Ecclesiastes 3:9-15, Solomon expands on how man cannot comprehend God’s business. Even with all of the wisdom and knowledge in the world, one will only discover that he cannot understand God and His ways. This will frustrate people who seek control, and liberate those who are content to sit in the mystery of it all. Solomon goes on to describe how our response to the mystery of God ought to be a reverent fear of the LORD, as well as confident trust because He does not change. God’s gift to mankind, as it says in the text, is for us to take pleasure in the blessings of life, and find joy in the varying seasons one is in. Ultimately, to be satisfied with the simple. To find completion in Him who created us with a need to be fulfilled by Him.
Solomon wrestles with the fact that both the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the fool, all perish in the same way. Often the righteous suffer, and the wicked’s life is prolonged (Ecc. 7:15-17). It seems backward… But is the author simply observing life after the fall of man? The grievous result of rebellious hearts and sinful actions? Ultimately, those who fear the LORD, abiding in the friendship they share with God, will do well because they know that they can rest secure and loved in the arms of the One who’s love will never change (Ecc. 8:12). Believers often get caught up in striving after righteous works and miss out on the simple, yet mysterious relationship they can have with their Creator. And in the end, this is what lasts. An intimacy with God will remain beyond death and into a second life.
A SEASON FOR EVERYTHING
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 talks about how there is a season for everything under the sun… “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together…” A person who doesn’t know God may find this incredibly grievous knowing that they cannot control the season they are in. But for the one who fears the LORD, this can be liberating. It releases one to not place a special value on one season over another. Who’s to say that laughter is better than weeping, or seasons of rest better than seasons of refining? Solomon, and ultimately God, desires for people to be content with where they’re at and to be real, not attempting to outwardly appear as though they’re in the laughter season when they’re truly in the mourning. And we cannot place our season on someone else. For example: If I have a conviction from the Holy Spirit to wake up early in the morning because the season I am in has to do with laying down my comfort in order to pick up more time to press in to my relationship with God, I cannot place my own conviction on another believer who perhaps is in a season of rest and finding God in their laying down of strife. What works for me may not work for them… and it could lead to discouragement if they do not get the same results as I do in my act of obedience. It is not right to try and enter into someone else’s season, nor to place your personal convictions on another. My act of obedience could be another’s stumbling block, not because it’s sin, but because what God is leading me to is not always what He is leading other’s to… it could be exactly the opposite!
In the end, one can only live in the present moment, choosing to be satisfied in the LORD, the season one is personally in, and the sweet gifts that He places over your life to lead you into intimacy with Him. He gives the simplicity of a lasting friendship. Laughter. The silence of falling snow. The warmth of a cup of tea. Sunshine on your face. A hug. Fluffy clouds. The feeling of sand or earth under your feet. The smell of rain. A hand intertwined with yours. The taste of an orange. A cool evening breeze. A handwritten letter. A smile from a stranger. A live jazz band. Dancing. All for you to taste His love and desire for a relationship. Being at peace with the season one is in, whether restful or painful, and being released to be real with one’s struggles and emotions will liberate one to give control to God so HE can meet them where they are, without them trying to reach GOD where they are not. This is a call to contentment. A call to trust in the LORD who sustains one through every season. A call to be still and acknowledge that its OKAY to be real with your own heart. It’s OKAY to feel pain. It’s also OKAY to feel like you’re bubbling over with the joy of the LORD. He is in both, and you will find Him more intimately the more you are released to BE in whatever season He has you in this present moment. No more strife.
Watch this beautiful video about living in the present.
“We do not rest satisfied with the present. We anticipate the future as too slow in coming, as if in order to hasten its course; or we recall the past, to stop its too rapid flight. So imprudent are we that we wander in the times which are not ours and do not think of the only one which belongs to us; and so idle are we that we dream of those times which are no more and thoughtlessly overlook that which alone exists. For the present is generally painful to us. We conceal it from our sight, because it troubles us; and, if it be delightful to us, we regret to see it pass away. We try to sustain it by the future and think of arranging matters which are not in our power, for a time which we have no certainty of reaching. Let each one examine his thoughts, and he will find them all occupied with the past and future. We scarcely ever think of the present; and if we think of it, it is only to take light from it to arrange the future. The present is never our end. The past and the present are our means; the future alone is our end. So we never live, but we hope to live; and, as we are always preparing to be happy, it is inevitable we should never be so” ~Blaise Pascal
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” ~Matthew 11:28-30
Alyssa Goes Global 