This topic title may sound rather philosophical, and maybe it is. But surely we need to step back and ask the deeper questions occasionally, else we will exist on a rollercoaster without perspective.
Birthday
On my birthday, I received numerous greetings on social media, many from people with whom I have linked but do not know personally. One sent me a message that at first sight felt rather odd, but which soon caused me amusement and then made me think more deeply. I was wished: “Happiest womb escape day ….” You must admit that this is an unusual greeting. It has a different feel from the usual ‘Happy Birthday’, being more obviously focused on remembering the original day and purpose than just the celebration of yet another year passing. We were all launched into the world on day one of our lives. But what is the purpose of the life that we are given to lead?
Context
I have just finished re-reading Ecclesiastes, having neglected this recently. Many think of this Old Testament book as rather depressing, but I am not sure that we are right to do so, because the writer’s intention is surely to give the readers a context for our lives. We tend to be focused on just ‘doing’ life, and if we limit ourselves to that, we are liable to lose sight of the framework within which our lives exist. We all need the occasional help with context and perspective, and the writer of Ecclesiastes aims to provide this. Without a future hope of life in the hereafter, the message of this biblical writer may well feel depressing. But given that we have such a hope, it seems to me that the opposite is the case. Ecclesiastes is telling us that the here and now is merely the prelude to our eternal future, just as our time being formed in the womb is the step before we are launched out into this world.
Legacy
This is not to say that our lives are unimportant; quite the contrary. God has given us this time to enjoy, which is made clear in Ecclesiastes (5:18), but we need to take care to use this in the right way, and with godly priorities and perspective. We should be wholeheartedly committed to what we take on, but not to the extent that we see earthly achievement as a final objective. Do we need to make a personal impact on this world; do we need to leave a legacy? These are things that many people are driven by, and they aren’t intrinsically bad, but they should not be our end goal. Surely, this must rather be to please God.
Epitaph
In the graveyard near where we used to live, there is a headstone with an inscription that has stayed with me ever since I came across it. The epitaph states that: “He worked so hard for those he loved, and left them to remember”. I wonder what that man’s legacy was. I am not, of course, referring to any property or wealth that he may have bequeathed. Reading between the lines, I interpret the inscription as being somewhat negative, the message seeming to say that the deceased was overly focused on achievement through work, such that he didn’t spend enough time relating to people, to his family. If this were the case, then he clearly had his priorities wrong. It has been said that nobody comes to the end of their working life wishing that they had spent more time at the office!
Relationships matter above all else; above riches, fame or what we leave behind at death. The people we love and influence are our greatest legacy, albeit an intangible one. Similarly, our relationship with God is of infinitely greater significance than the things that we busy ourselves with, or than any faint scratch that our existence may leave on the surface of human history.
Perspective
It seems to me that the message of Ecclesiastes is that, while we should make the most of our lives here on earth, we need to do so with a heavenly perspective, seeking, above all else, to live to please our heavenly Father. Everything that we commit ourselves to needs to be aligned with that overarching objective. Someone I was talking with yesterday asked me how long Jean and I have been married. When I told him, he expressed admiration for our ‘achievement’, but I was at pains to point out that we cannot take credit for this. The reason that our marriage has lasted as long as it has is that we both sought God’s direction concerning who we should marry; we dared not take such a momentous decision into our own hands, and we were determined to honour him in this.
Obverse
For a Christian, the lordship of Jesus is not optional, but rather is the obverse side of the coin to salvation. It is illogical to take hold of the one and not to grasp the other firmly as well. We can try to navigate our own path, as the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that he did, but if we follow through on that, then we will surely come to the same conclusion as he: “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity” Ecclesiastes 12:8. After clearly living his life to the full, the writer ends with the sobering, and surely accurate, summary in verses 13 & 14:
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil”.
Fulfillment
For us, as Christians, this is neither a bad nor depressing message. God has given us a very high calling, to a fulfilling and exciting journey as we walk with him, trusting that he knows what he is doing with us personally and with our lives as well (2 Peter 1:3,4). He has work for us to undertake, and he intends for us to have a fulfilling life (Psalm 37:4). But we need to keep our eyes on him and our hearts set on serving him in every area of our lives, for his glory.
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