In the book of Ecclesiastes, the teacher goes into great detail about all these great things that at one point or another, he has put his heart and soul into only to be let down and realize that whatever ‘it’ was, is meaningless. As wise as he is, he pursues great paths. He tries the highest roads and endures the lowest of roads. He educates himself on every subject possible. This teacher is driven to find the answer to life’s most important question, “What is it all for? What is life all about?” His conclusion at every new turn is that it’s all meaningless. Life is meaningless. Done? End of Story? It would be easy for the pessimist in all of us to stop right there and say ‘great’ (sarcastically) I guess I’ll just ‘be’, I guess I’ll just ‘exist’ until life is over. It seems like if the wisest man to ever pursue answers to life came up with the conclusion that life is meaningless, then we have the ability to just do whatever can make us happy until life is over. Let’s just do whatever we want right? After all, we are only a dot within a dot within a dot. We will be forgotten 5 years after we die anyway so what’s the point?
Awesome, now that we are all mad and destitute, let’s study that! What is the point? The teacher ends Ecclesiastes saying that we should love God and serve God. He says this is the ‘whole duty of man’. Okay, but that’s not fun though. Is there any other ‘duty’ that we could take on instead? Well, I guess you could assume yourself to be smarter then the millions and millions and millions of people who came and went before you and you could assume that it would be different for you. I guess you could take a chance and live life for yourself and hope that life turns out meaningful for you without God in the picture. Maybe you’re different then all of mankind when it comes to this? But let’s be honest, you’re a dot within a dot within a dot. Sorry to keep bringing that up, but until we understand that, we still think that life is all about ourselves. And if we live an inward looking life, we waste years and years of what God could create meaning out of. I’ll say it again, we have the opportunity to not live into a meaningless life and it comes from understanding who God created us to be.
You're so smart! Thought-provoking, relevant, bold. Two thumbs way up!
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I wouldn't start mixing nihilism with Jesus, Dan. Remember the author of Ecclesiastes had uncommon wisdom, but he wasn't perfect. He threw away his devotion to God in the end. What does that say of his concept of "duty to God"?
ReplyDeleteIt does seem like we're dots, but its probably good to balance the basis of our humility/fear of God across the Biblical record of God's character, along with a healthy does of personal encounter.
We are eternal beings and all of our decisions have eternal implications.
I think you are suggesting that I think life isn't important. And I agree with that. What I'm saying is that WITH OUT GOD, life is meaningless. I don't understand an argument against this thought.
ReplyDeleteThis life is important. For people who ascribe to humanistic/hedonistic/atheistic thoughts and lifestyles, this life is all they have. And that is meaningless. We find purpose when we realize that our Creator has plans for us.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important for people to understand that the Gospel leads to an outflow of action. I think there are believers that have accepted Christ, but then sat idle as they claim their shortcomings are "just who I am."
ReplyDeleteBut because of the Gospel I feel a call to help my neighbors, to be in a community, to devote my life to making other lives better, to work tirelessly at making my own heart reflect Jesus who I follow. Jesus does not save us from our sin so we can get fat, but I have been set free from my sin to act, without shame or guilt.
I like Mike's comment! Sounds a lot like James 1:26-27 - realistic faith is going to be revealed in how it is lived outwardly, because of what has gone on inwardly. No inward - it doesn't matter how outward! It's nothing. But the real inward MUST BE SHOWN outwardly or it doesn't matter! That outward is shown in my speech, in my love (especially toward the marginalized) and in my conduct. And though I might not tear down a whole wall, I can at least move the bricks in front of me! Nehemiah appointed people to rebuild 'their' section of the wall, not the part across the city. So - great challenge, Dan!
ReplyDeleteI was expecting a duty/dooty pun.
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