Living with Purpose - 8
Studies in the book of Ecclesiastes - Chapter 7
I wonder how many times you have said, "I really want to get the best out of life” ? It's important you do, after all you only get one shot at it! Solomon shows us how to live with meaning and purpose as he takes us through the book of Ecclesiastes. The best life is the one devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in 1 John 2 verse17, "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives for ever. ” Someone once said, “Only one life will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last”. We are looking at chapter seven this time. Here Solomon shows us the keys to enjoying a purposeful life living in the will of God. He is looking at life as a believer and shows the way to meaningful contentment as we travel life's journey.
The first key is be godly. Verse 1 says, "A good name is better than fine perfume. ” Fine perfume represents all the pleasures and delights of the world. It is better to have a good name before God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. It is better to have a good name before men and women, and to be known as a Christian, than go with the crowd to a lost eternity. Living a godly life in Jesus brings deep satisfaction.
The second key is be serious. Verse 2 says, "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting. ” Is Solomon really saying it is better to go to a funeral than to a party? He can't be serious! He is! The house of mourning is a place of seriousness, thoughtfulness, and sobriety. It is there that we are confronted with the stark reality of death, and dying. The cup of death is being passed on from person to person. Verse 2 says, "The living should take this to heart. ” Give serious thought to your own death. Be sure you know the one who is the resurrection and the life. The house of feasting is a place of frivolity. It distracts you from giving serious thought to these weighty matters of death, the after life, and the needs of your soul.
The next key is be sensitive. Verse 5 says, "It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke than to listen to the song of fools. " Be sensitive to wise counsel. Taking heed of good biblical, spiritual advice will enrich your walk with God. This will inevitably deepen purpose in life. It is more pleasing to listen to a nice song than a word of rebuke. But the word of rebuke from the wise is better for your soul. The fool’s words are described in verse 6. We read, "Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. " They make a great noise and a good fire, but only for a little while. Soon it is gone and scatters to ashes. There is no lasting heat; no lasting benefit. Wise spiritual advice will carry you through this life and into the next!
The fourth key is be humble. We read in verse 8, "The end of a matter is better than its beginning and patience is better than pride. " We will find it easier to live through difficult times when we wait patiently for the Lord. Don't ever think you know better than God and take matters into your own hands. This is pride leading to arrogance. Living with purpose involves submitting to God and his ways in your life. It is being confident that He will work all things out in the end. This brings a real deep peace in all the circumstances you face in life. We read in verse 13, "Consider what God has done, who can straighten what He has made crooked?". So Solomon gives some good sound direction. We read in verse 14, "When times are good be happy, but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other". Give the appropriate response to the different providences of God in your life. This will give your life a sense of purposeful direction.
Another key we find is, be careful. We read in verses 16 to 18, "Do not be over- righteous neither be over wise - why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool - why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes. " What is Solomon saying here to help us? Live a righteous life, but be governed by discernment. Matthew Henry, the Bible commentator, said, "There may be overdoing in well doing. " That can happen when your zeal isn't guided by knowledge. You can damage the effect of your testimony because you come over as an extremist or fanatic. You can also endanger your own health by an imbalanced zeal, hence the warning not to destroy yourself. Being overwise really means being a little full of yourself and being big-headed; a bit of a faultfinding know-it-all! That attitude leads to futility. When Solomon says, "Do not be overwicked", he is not saying we should get involved in wickedness. He is simply saying that all conditions that are bad for us must be avoided. We must develop a balanced life of godliness. How can we avoid these extremes? We read in verse 18, "The man who fears God will avoid all extremes. " This gets us off the tightrope and puts everything in perspective. We need that wisdom that comes from God to live a well ordered holy life.
The sixth key to living with purpose is be realistic. Verse 20 says, "There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. " Even Christians can disappoint us. Often it is our own fault because we sometimes expect perfection from our Christian friends. It is not long before we find they are far from perfect! False expectations of them can make us think life is futile when they fail us. To avoid this, remember we are all sinners saved by grace. We are on the road together and we are all growing in sanctification. We are all struggling with sin. Solomon says in verse 29, "This only have I found, God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes. " We are in a fallen world. God has taken the broken pieces of our lives and is making something good from them. Seeing this helps us to avoid a sense of futility as we recall that the Lord is at work in us for his glory.
I trust you are living out the will of God in your lives. It will bring real purpose to every day of your life as you develop the attitudes we have looked at in this lesson.