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Ecclesiastes 3
Another heavy reading today...and there some clear themes in mind - the idea that time is essentially written already, by God, that our work is futile because God already has in mind what is coming and what will be, and that we are like the beasts or animals in that ultimately return to dust as do they. It is a grim reading almost.
I particularly noticed this verse: “...Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end”, which from verse 11.
The teacher touched on this idea before, that God has given us an internal sense for eternity, that we desire purpose and meaning and to make a long-term impact in and on this world, and that we generally desire significance. I think that is MORE true of some people than others, but generally applies to everyone. This desire is challenged by our realization that we are finite and by the reality of life, that we all live and die. This creates a tension, this eternal desire and the understanding that life is finite. It is a great insight.
That said, there is a hopeful thought that I had as I was reading this, and I recognize again that I living on this side of being saved by Jesus, on this side of the resurrection, and I live with that hindsight that I can’t undo...and frankly, I am grateful for that fact; but the pushback I would offer on this notion that life is written and that we can’t really control anything is this - we can control right now. I can choose to write this journal entry, or I can choose to not. I can choose to do a lot of things in any particular moment, and that can’t be taken from me. I can’t ultimately choose the outcomes, granted, but I think that is where faith and life come together. I also think that is why we can’t attach meaning to outcomes. Meaning is in the doing, purpose is realized and joy is experienced in process. There is an element to faith that pushes us to learn to enjoy the process more than the product, which is hard for me admittedly. We must live in each moment, and we must enjoy each moment to the fullest, and we must be present there. We must learn to both seek and find God in each moment.
Heavy stuff today!
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By Steve AndersonAnother heavy reading today...and there some clear themes in mind - the idea that time is essentially written already, by God, that our work is futile because God already has in mind what is coming and what will be, and that we are like the beasts or animals in that ultimately return to dust as do they. It is a grim reading almost.
I particularly noticed this verse: “...Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end”, which from verse 11.
The teacher touched on this idea before, that God has given us an internal sense for eternity, that we desire purpose and meaning and to make a long-term impact in and on this world, and that we generally desire significance. I think that is MORE true of some people than others, but generally applies to everyone. This desire is challenged by our realization that we are finite and by the reality of life, that we all live and die. This creates a tension, this eternal desire and the understanding that life is finite. It is a great insight.
That said, there is a hopeful thought that I had as I was reading this, and I recognize again that I living on this side of being saved by Jesus, on this side of the resurrection, and I live with that hindsight that I can’t undo...and frankly, I am grateful for that fact; but the pushback I would offer on this notion that life is written and that we can’t really control anything is this - we can control right now. I can choose to write this journal entry, or I can choose to not. I can choose to do a lot of things in any particular moment, and that can’t be taken from me. I can’t ultimately choose the outcomes, granted, but I think that is where faith and life come together. I also think that is why we can’t attach meaning to outcomes. Meaning is in the doing, purpose is realized and joy is experienced in process. There is an element to faith that pushes us to learn to enjoy the process more than the product, which is hard for me admittedly. We must live in each moment, and we must enjoy each moment to the fullest, and we must be present there. We must learn to both seek and find God in each moment.
Heavy stuff today!