DAILY DEVOTION - ECCLESIASTES 1 - THE ELUSIVE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
As a nation, we (US) Americans thrive on what's new. It seems to be the engine of our economy, and the goal of our pursuit of happiness. Businesses and social networks are dedicated to helping us pursue the elusive pursuit of happiness.
With all we have, shouldn’t we be happy?
And yet, more people than ever are medicated for depression and anxiety, while suicide rates soar. Our collective pursuit of happiness is an elusive, never-ending effort, which leaves most people empty-handed.
And yet, all of this is nothing new. Ancient wisdom tells us this.
Could it be we are looking for the wrong kind of happiness, in the wrong places, and in the wrong way?
This is the point, more or less, of the book of Ecclesiastes.
King Solomon amassed great wealth, hundreds of wives and concubines, was well-learned, and yet he viewed all of it as pointless. What would bring him to that view of life? Well, that's a long story but it leads to the wisdom found in Ecclesiastes.
Solomon speaks to the redundancy of life itself. All we do in life no matter how new or special it may seem has been done before. And he drives home this cynical and pessimistic view of life by returning to various generations of people that come and go and are forgotten.
Our worldview—how we view the world and our place in it all—is a very personal and subjective issue. What makes it complicated is our individuality—how we are distinct and unique from others.
And yet, the basis for how we view the world simplifies it all.
Our worldview impacts our sense of meaning and purpose in life.
This is the crux of the book of Ecclesiastes. When our worldview is earthbound and based on human nature, it’s easy to develop a cynical or pessimistic worldview.
However, if we believe God is the Creator and Lord of all, we are more likely to see an order and purpose to our life that rises above the cynical and pessimistic view so often presented by those who don’t believe or trust in God.
What is your worldview based on?
Do you see life on earth as boring and pointless or having meaning and purpose?
How you answer these questions is important.
Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-ecclesiastes-1-the-elusive-pursuit-of-happiness