Is it just me?
What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. 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. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. Ecc. 3:9-13
Or so I tell myself. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.
But see, here's the thing that I need to tell myself: little Creature, you are only a little Creature. You don't get to declare what glorifies the Creator. Only the Creator gets to declare such things. So if He says that you going to your job, which you think is little and unimportant, matters than it matters. If He says that you should enjoy the good things He's given you to enjoy, than you should enjoy it. If He wanted you doing something else, He would make that plain to you. How would you know if He's making that plain to you? It would be unmistakable, and designed specifically for you to understand. How do you know that He'd make it so you'd understand? Because He's God you idiot! Stop having in your mind a picture of what you should be, and accept and rejoice in what you are. Because that's the only place to have joy. And stop believing that God has some mysterious, Sphinx-esque riddle for solving your life. You can never know all He has done, but you can know what He has done that you can see. And it is for your benefit in the most absolute of ways. We, I, need to learn to take pleasure in our toil until He removes it from us.
I can't be the only one out there who has a hard time with this, can I? You're telling me that God wants me to be happy with what He's given me? Oh no, that's far too easy. I think I'll just stick with trying to earn everything for myself and achieving everything I can under my own power, because that gives me worth. And then I'll feel good about myself. And I'll be better than everyone else who doesn't achieve anything on their own like I have.
But see, here's the thing, as previously mentioned we aren't really anything special. We are just created beings made of the same earth as everything else around us. It's the Creator's will that made us into something else, something more. And He wants us to be what He made us to be. Now we know that means He wants us to have fellowship with Him, and provided for that. But He also wants us to be content in our social and cultural standing. Because, from an eternal perspective, it is only our gratitude for what He has given us that matters. Our houses, cars, money, will all cease to exist. The things we do that glorify the Creator are all that will last, and, therefor are the only ones that have meaning.
So, clearly, we should simply be blazing forth doing things that glorify Him then, right? And we all have that list of things that we have declared glorify God; I know I have mine: writing books, teaching people, witnessing, holding worship services, there's a few more in there but they're all pretty similar. Definitely not on that list are cooking, cleaning house, mowing the lawn, playing video games, reading for leisure, sleeping, etc. Those are just maintenance tasks. They don't accomplish anything for God. And He definitely frowns on me wasting my life in those things, because He's not being glorified.
But see, here's the thing, as previously mentioned we aren't really anything special. We are just created beings made of the same earth as everything else around us. It's the Creator's will that made us into something else, something more. And He wants us to be what He made us to be. Now we know that means He wants us to have fellowship with Him, and provided for that. But He also wants us to be content in our social and cultural standing. Because, from an eternal perspective, it is only our gratitude for what He has given us that matters. Our houses, cars, money, will all cease to exist. The things we do that glorify the Creator are all that will last, and, therefor are the only ones that have meaning.
So, clearly, we should simply be blazing forth doing things that glorify Him then, right? And we all have that list of things that we have declared glorify God; I know I have mine: writing books, teaching people, witnessing, holding worship services, there's a few more in there but they're all pretty similar. Definitely not on that list are cooking, cleaning house, mowing the lawn, playing video games, reading for leisure, sleeping, etc. Those are just maintenance tasks. They don't accomplish anything for God. And He definitely frowns on me wasting my life in those things, because He's not being glorified.
Or so I tell myself. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.
But see, here's the thing that I need to tell myself: little Creature, you are only a little Creature. You don't get to declare what glorifies the Creator. Only the Creator gets to declare such things. So if He says that you going to your job, which you think is little and unimportant, matters than it matters. If He says that you should enjoy the good things He's given you to enjoy, than you should enjoy it. If He wanted you doing something else, He would make that plain to you. How would you know if He's making that plain to you? It would be unmistakable, and designed specifically for you to understand. How do you know that He'd make it so you'd understand? Because He's God you idiot! Stop having in your mind a picture of what you should be, and accept and rejoice in what you are. Because that's the only place to have joy. And stop believing that God has some mysterious, Sphinx-esque riddle for solving your life. You can never know all He has done, but you can know what He has done that you can see. And it is for your benefit in the most absolute of ways. We, I, need to learn to take pleasure in our toil until He removes it from us.
I wish you would let people see this side of you more often. Good and encouraging thoughts. I'm glad I took the time to read them. :)
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