Living with Meaning

DEVOTION

ELLCESIASTES

LIVING WITH MEANING

Eccl 4:5-8

5 The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. 6 Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. 7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: 8 There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" This too is meaningless — a miserable business!

NIV

Although there is warnings about chasing after wealth, making it an idol of sorts, there is also a grave danger in being a slothful person. This person just folds his hands and does nothing for himself and it is to his own ruin. He who does not work should not eat.

2 Thess 3:10-12

10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." 11 We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.

NIV

Working for our sustenance is scriptural and Solomon is making that point about the slothful person coming to ruin. On the other hand there is a second person who is content with little and living in peace compared to the one who labors diligently to obtain as much as possible, the one handed worker, and the two fisted worker. The idea Solomon seems to be making is to learn to be content living in peace with a fair income, then have so much wealth the oppressors are after you all the time to try to take your wealth away, or that this chasing, this two-fisted approach to life, trying to gain as much as possible never brings peace, or tranquility, but only discontentment. Solomon also makes note of the man who is all alone and has no one to share his life or his wealth with. This too is meaningless for he has no one to leave his wealth to. He toils and toils, and stores up wealth and more wealth and is all alone. He has no wife, no son, no heirs at all so then he becomes despondent and figures he might as well spend all his money on himself. He cannot understand why he is depriving himself so he does not anymore. Solomon says that is a miserable way to live. So then how should we live? How do we find tranquility and enjoyment at the same time? Living in community, living with family, working and being content with a fair wage, enough to put food on the table, clothes on our backs and a roof over our heads. Yes, we all want a little more than that. If we seek the Lord and his kingdom first, making that our main priority in life, then he will see to it we have that little more, that which the pagans chase after. The good life, it not having all the money in the world. The good life is having Christ in our heart, living out the purpose God has for us. In essence we can live for self or for God. When we live for self, everything is about how much we have, how much we do in life. Just take a look at one of those social media platforms, such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram etc. Way too many posts and pictures about self-absorbed people bragging about how much fun they have or what new thing there got, or how many trips they take. They even tell us when they sneeze. LOL. Then of course there are those who always tell us of every cough, sickness, or infirmity they have. Life is more about self, always about self. This is meaningless.  Life is about living in peace with God, doing his bidding, living out our faith through our actions, our words, and our love.  This kind of life has meaning.