 A NEWSLETTER FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE GREENWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST
THE REALITY OF LIFE!STEVE NIEMEIER“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgement, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Solomon wrote this at the conclusion of a book that he spends teaching us that all is vanity under the sun. Yet, for many of us, we have tried to prove Solomon wrong by living our lives in ways that Solomon told us would be vanity. At the end of the day all we can do is to feel the frustration of wasting another day of our life by spending it in vain efforts instead of serving God as we should. Solomon saw fit to let us know that the pleasures of riches that so many of us seek are nothing but vanity. He lets us know that injustice seems to prevail on this earth and death comes to all, wicked and righteous alike. He wants us to know that there is a time for everything and that while we might rejoice over the birth of a newborn there will be a time weeping will occur at that one's death. Laughter will be a part of life but so will weeping. We will gain in our life but we will also lose. There will be love but there will also be hatred, just as there will be peace and also war. We are taught by Solomon that a friend is something to cherish yet our popularity will pass. Practical wisdom according to Solomon is a value that will allow one to understand that sorrow is better than laughter and going to the house of mourning is better than going to the house of feasting. He stresses that wisdom is superior than folly yet a poor man with wisdom is not heard while a fool that is a ruler shouts folly. Seeking God early in life is a value that Solomon stresses and expounds upon those that get older and how hard life can be when we live those days that are not pleasurable. He instructs us that diligence toward God's ways and obedience to God's word is a value. All this wisdom from one who lived a life with no worry about riches or worldly goods yet he could not find the happiness he sought so much. So it is with many of us. We work hard, we establish good credit, we plan for the future, we have many worldly goods, we may have great jobs, and we live a life that many in third world countries could only dream about. Yet, we are not happy because we have not been able to figure out the reality of life even though Solomon has figured it out for us and wrote a whole book in the Bible about it. When life “stabs us in the back” with its difficulties and hardships how do we handle it? Solomon even through his frustration understood that nothing could outweigh or be more important than the whole conclusion of what this life is all about. The reality of life is found in the 13th and 14th verses of the 12th chapter of the Book of Ecclesiastes. We may not like it but it doesn't matter what we think, this is the way that it is. Unfortunately, many are still trying to find a different conclusion of this life but their search is but vanity. One can look for something else but God is truth and His word is truth and we can't change it. The next time that you put something that is vain over the reality of life think about the fact that you will be questioned in judgement about your decision to do so. Whether it is not being baptized into Christ or failing to be faithful to Him after obeying His gospel plan of salvation, God will judge us on the reality of life! Remember then to “fear God and keep His commandments” for that is the reality of life! |
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