Ecclesiastes 2:17-23
Are you depressed yet? The book of Ecclesiastes can be a difficult one to take if our mind is focused on the things of earth and not the things of eternity. I hope you have been reading along, we are making our way through the book of Ecclesiastes. We are almost to the end of chapter 2, and we would like to encourage you if you are just joining us at Ambrose Brothers, to go back through our previous post on this interesting section of Scripture. You will find they are nothing fancy, but they are the Truth, and our goal is to simply share what we know, with anyone who will listen.
Today's passage starts out with Solomon hating life, as he searches for a deeper meaning. Ecclesiastes 2:17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. He goes on to explain that all his hard work, and wisdom in business is pointless, because he will just have to leave it behind to someone else. Someone who may be a fool, who hasn't worked for anything he will receive. He concludes that "All his days his work is pain and grief, even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless." (v.23)
We "Work-Strive-Climb" our entire lives. And why? What for? For our possessions to be boxed up and sold to the highest bidder. To leave it to those who haven't earned it, for all we gain with the sweat of our brow simply becomes someones yard sale bargain!
In life we are going to "Work-Strive-Climb". It is the nature of life, the question is what are we doing it for? Matthew 6:19,20 Jesus speaks of this, He says "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."
The action step for today is to find out what what it is we want to leave behind when our time on earth is over. Is it yard sale bargains, or is the Truth of Jesus Christ to all who will listen. You see Solomon didn't say "well I guess I should just stop working" What he was doing was changing the focus of his work. We need to do the same, not give up in despair, but to change our focus from working to gain stuff that will never make a difference, to working to spread the saving message of Jesus Christ! I urge you to be careful, once you change your focus, it will change your life!
