Though the writer of Ecclesiastes condemns flippancy (7:4-6), he clearly has no time for the super-spirituality which is too proud or pious ever to laugh and have fun. Seek grace to work hard at whatever life calls you to do (9:10), and enjoy your work, as you do it (2:24). Leave to God the issues of life; let him measure its ultimate worth. Your part is to use all the good sense and enterprise at your command in exploiting the opportunities that lie before you (11:1-6).
A few years ago, I preached through the book of Ecclesiastes and in the process sealed its place in my affections as my favorite book in the Bible. Along with Romans. And Jeremiah. And Mark. And Exodus. And…. Well, you get my point. If you don’t, ask your pastor what I mean.
Ecclesiastes helps me. It reorients my thinking not only to face reality but to embrace it. And not only to embrace it but to embrace it in joy. Because the book really is about joy—the joy that comes from knowing, trusting, and obeying the God who has created us and who redeems us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
In Jesus, we can face real life in a fallen world with genuine joy. How? By living wisely. Living within our limitations.
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