Is it all Meaningless?
Our study of Ecclesiastes began last Friday with the Teacher asserting that life, at times, seems like a meaningless excercise in futility. Spend some time this week re-reading Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 and consider the following:1. What life experiences has the Teacher endured to cause him to see life from this perspective? (Hint: spend some quiet time in the book of 1st Kings to see if you can find some hints)
2. In what ways do you sense that people around you live with a sense of despair? Try and share concret examples from you life experiences.
3. What is one area in your life that has recently seemed futile or meaningless? (Try and be as transparent as possible)
Have fun digging in the Word!
posted by CrossPointeDave @ 7:43 AM
2 Comments:
I missed the gathering but I am always ready with an opinion. The author does seem very depressed, and seems to have a large streak of fatalism in him as well. It also occurs to me that he has delusions of granduer as well. I am just content to make my wife and kids happy as much as possible, grow towards God every day and try not to drive more people away from God by my action/inaction. I will grant that, through Jesus, we can make a huge impact on the world but do we start out looking that broadly? Do we perhaps focus on what we can affect to start with and then let God open the vistas for us from there?
(2. In what ways do you sense that people around you live with a sense of despair? Try and share concret examples from you life experiences.)
Despair seems to be a constant in any society, the clothes that dress it will change but it is always there. Anytime you can get a feeling of futility from what you are doing or not, then despair is probably not far behind. People in our country despair about being able to affect change on a government that has so lost its identity and sense of purpose that we seem to be a giant octopus flailing about all over the planet. They despair about keeping up with rising fuel costs even though there is no real reason for the prices to keep rising. People everywhere despair about getting enough food on the table, or medicine for thier families or any of a million other things that people need or want.
I myself have despaired about ever having a meaningful job. I wondered would I ever have a job that makes me feel happy to be there, would I ever have a job where I am content with my compensation or treatment. I despaired about whether I would ever learn my lessons and not be my own worst enemy at work, to much opinion giving, to much protecting my rights and trying to head off anything that would be bad for me. To much seeing the world is against me instead of seeing that if I join the team instead of trying protect myself I will succeed. This is not just an issue at work, it has permeated my whole life and coming to grips with that has been a huge revelation and has lifted a load from my shoulders. God has been showing me these things for over 14 years, Im glad he never despaired over me not getting it.
I do ramble a bit dont I.
Great insight John! I think that we will discover more about how the Teacher ended up with this jadded view of life and how he corrected it in his life. He almost argues agains himself and about his lack of influence after his death by the fact that 3000 years later we are still reading his work!
I hear both the pain and the new found joy that you have experienced as you searched for significant work. You are not alone in that struggle. I, myself, often ask myself that very question. "Is this really what I am called to do or is there something more meaningful that God has for me?"
Thanks for being open with your own battles and for the great insight into the struggles our society battles!
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