Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

Connecting Point: Toil and Time

The self-serving slogans “Make America Great Again” and “Build Back Better” contrast with the wisdom of the Bible’s Ecclesiastes. Most Americans find a purpose for living beyond daily living. The great poet Robert Frost said, “Most Americans are deeply spiritual,” and I agree. Today, again studying Ecclesiastes, I hope you’ll find inspiration.

Solomon explores the topic of life’s purpose throughout the entirety of Ecclesiastes. The maturing Solomon found that wisdom and pleasure in and of themselves were meaningless. In the process, he examined his conscience:

“I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well, the delights of a man’s heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this, my wisdom stayed with me,” (Ecclesiastes 2:4-9). King Solomon was a business tycoon, an elite socialite and a privileged leader all rolled into one.

By his own admission, in the later years of his life, all his accomplishments and endeavors were meaningless. “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun,” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11). From this reflection, Solomon found respect for God’s omnipotent power.

Because God made us in a unique fashion, in His image, we all contain divine significance. For the Christian our goals include; to become more like Christ daily, to honor and serve others, and to be salt and light in this world, all in a manner that brings glory to God.

Solomon’s growth led him to observe that pride and pleasure are synonymous. If you count the “I’s” in the previous passage, you will see it is repeated eleven times. You might say, Solomon was excessively prideful. Then again, he shows us that accomplishments tend to be quite temporary. Every leader loves to boast about their undertakings, but time reveals what lasts.

We must all evaluate our life’s purpose and understand our limits. History will judge us all.

 

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