Title: Secret of a Wonderful Life
Contents
Ecclesiastes (3) The secret of a wonderful life (Ecclesiastes 1:5-11)
<Work in God>
There was a great social conflict during the time of Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the United States. Because Philadelphia citizens have proposed to work 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, or 60 hours a week. At that time, the average working hours of workers per week was 12 hours a day, 6 days, or 72 hours. At that time, some people said that working 12 hours a day is too much, so it should be reduced to 10 hours.
Times have changed, and now many people complain that they work 40 hours a week. Of course, working is sometimes boring. According to one statistic, only 43% of Americans are satisfied with their job, and only 17% of Japanese are satisfied. Don't stop working, even if you're so sick of it. Working makes money, but more importantly, it brings joy and reward. It is a mission as important as prayer for the saints to work in their field.
Martin Luther said. “When a maid cleans the kitchen, she does the will of God as a monk prays. God delights in praising with a loving heart, and cleaning with a loving heart.”
Labor and sweat are holy things. When you work, the meaning and reward of life deepens. Never stop working. Keep working until you die. Find something to work hard on. Not working is like dying. So don't die until you die. God wants workers, not spectators. As such, work is important, but there is a big premise. It is to work in the grace of God.
< Secret of a wonderful life >
Just as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so the rising of life also sets soon (verse 5). In ancient times, the sun was the number one object of worship. We also call the day of the year ‘Sunday’. In the old days, working six days and resting on Sunday, the day of the sun, was considered the greatest blessing and led a Sunday-centered life, but King Solomon confesses that Sunday-centered life is a futile life. How can life not be in vain? We need to change our ‘Sunday-centered life’ to a ‘weekly-centered life’. In other words, we should not live ‘under the sun’, but ‘under grace’.
Life is like the wind (verse 6). Just as rivers continue to flow into the sea but do not fill the sea, so no matter how much a person possesses, he can never satisfy the desires of his heart (verse 7). The glorification of man without God is nothing. It is not a bad thing to have wealth, to be in a high position, and to live well, but you should always live with it and always prepare for something eternal. When the 'glory of man' ends with just 'the movie of man', life becomes empty.
In the old days, people retired in their 40s, but it is said that fortresses are always in danger if they cross the 38th parallel. Also, many people these days feel bored with their work. In modern times, the eyes are not satisfied with seeing, and the ears are not filled with hearing (verse 8). No matter how much you search for something new, there is nothing new under the sun (verses 9-10). Many people feel boredom and have a hard life. Even the most prosperous people struggle with life. How can we overcome such a situation? Don't try to live under the sun, but live under the grace of the Lord.
'The Little Prince' by Saint-Jupberry says, "The desert is beautiful...". How beautiful is the desert? The little prince answers him. “The desert is beautiful because there is a well hidden somewhere.” The lonely woman of Suga City lived in a desert-like environment, but found satisfaction in meeting Jesus, the source of living water. The secret of a wonderful life is not in 'winning competition with others', but in 'living while holding onto God'
People are no different. According to the Bible, even people with good faith had a history of falling. Even the great prophet of fire, Elijah, was threatened with death and fled into the wilderness, contemplating suicide. That's everyone's reality. Man's hope is only in God. If you try to hold onto God, eventually you will be caught in God's hand. Then even those who are lacking and insignificant can be used splendidly. Dream of such a useful life