The Gift of Perspective 2

BIG IDEA: When life doesn’t make sense, Jesus transforms frustration into purpose, wealth into generosity, and death into hope.

🎯 Intro: Why Perspective Matters

(Use object lesson here—example: the Zoomed-In Photo)

“Have you ever looked at a photo so zoomed in that you can’t tell what it is? You squint, guess, maybe even argue with a friend, but then the picture zooms out—and boom—it all makes sense. Life is like that. When we’re zoomed in on frustration, we often miss the bigger picture. Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, is like a man staring at the puzzle piece and saying, ‘This makes no sense.’ But Jesus zooms us out and says, ‘Let Me show you how it fits.’”

He gives us a perspective check— a lens to see through.

In the next section of Ecclesiastes— We will uncover a deep frustration and, in some ways, a “crash” of bitterness and disappointment. Solomon won’t be aware of the lens that Jesus can give. The perspective is solely from “under the sun”.

Remember, Solomon is most likely not in a very good place mentally or spiritually when he writes this. We are peering into his journal so to speak. It is filled with incomplete and unresolved thoughts.

So I would like to make a couple observations— but pair them with teachings and wisdom from Jesus right away— rather than wait until the end.

It will hopefully help us to see the futility of living a life without God— and the beauty we can find in life, “under the sun”, because of the relationship we have with Jesus.

This relationship affects our perspective on everything— Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes can guide us to conclude that Jesus transforms our relationships to POSSESSIONS, MORTALITY, and MORALITY.

We should seek to view “under the sun” , “through the Son”.

Ecclesiastes 6:1–2 NIV

1 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.

“God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor… but does not grant them the ability to enjoy them.”

I. Seeing our wealth with eternity in mind.

Jesus transforms our relationship with possessions.

Ecclesiastes 6:1–2 NIV

1 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.

🧩 Solomon’s Perspective:

Stuff can fill your hands, but only God can fill your heart.

Ecclesiastes 6:7 NIV

7 Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.

You can have everything—but without God, enjoy nothing. Joy doesn’t come from what’s in your hands, but from Who’s in your heart.

A long life isn’t the same as a full life.

Living 100 years without purpose is still empty. Better to live 30 years fully awake to God’s mission.

Ecclesiastes 6:3 NIV

3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.

✝️ Jesus’ Perspective:

Matthew 6:19–21 NIV

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus reframes wealth—not as something to hoard, but something to invest in eternity.

🗣 “Solomon looked around and said, ‘What’s the point of all this stuff?’ Jesus looked up and said, ‘Point it toward heaven.’”

He helps us redirect our perspective from “how can I get more” to “how can I give more?”.

🛠️ Application:

We were not built for stuff, but for joy.

Practice gratitude daily. Is the glass half FULL, or half EMPTY?

Be generous—invest in people, not just possessions.

A final thought:

We can use what we have for what matters most.

Solomon's frustration with wealth leads him to an even deeper question about life itself...

II. Seeing our life with death in mind.

Jesus transforms our relationship with mortality.

Ecclesiastes 7:1–4 NIV

1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. 2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. 3 Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

“The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning…”

🧩 Solomon’s Perspective:

Facing death helps us value life

Funerals are honest teachers. They cut through the clutter and show what truly matters.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

14 When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

Grief isn’t a problem to fix—it’s a path to walk

Tears grow us in ways laughter never will. Sorrow matures the soul.

✝️ Jesus’ Perspective:

John 11:25 NIV

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

John 11:35 NIV

35 Jesus wept.

Jesus validates grief. He feels it with us. This account at Lazarus’ tomb is dramatic and fascinating.

Jesus not only comforts the grieving; He conquers the grave!

🗣 “Solomon stood in the graveyard and said, ‘This is where it ends.’ Jesus stood at the tomb and said, ‘Watch this. This is where it begins!”

🛠️ Application:

Death—and suffering—are part of the human experience that God uses to develop eternal perspective. This verse makes room for God’s sovereignty in joy and sorrow. Here’s a strong theological moment: "God uses death—not to destroy us—but to disturb our illusions of control. And that opens the door for wisdom, humility, and Jesus-shaped hope

Journal: “If I died today, what would I want people to say about me?”

Let mortality motivate you—not to panic, but to priority.

We can view death as a doorway, not a dead end.

After grappling with possessions and mortality, Solomon turns to examine human nature itself...

III. Seeing our comfort with character in mind.

Jesus transforms our relationship to morality.

Ecclesiastes 7:29 NIV

29 This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.”

🧩 Solomon’s Perspective:

Integrity is rare—and worth the effort

Shortcuts are popular, but character is what lasts.

Ecclesiastes 7:5 NIV

5 It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.

Don’t be shocked by sin—face it directly.

We all mess up. Grace doesn’t excuse sin—it empowers us to forgive and move beyond it.

Ecclesiastes 7:20–22 NIV

20 Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. 21 Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you— 22 for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.

We often judge ourselves by our motives— and others by their actions. It’s human.

✝️ Jesus’ Perspective:

Matthew 7:13–14 NIV

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Luke 9:23 NIV

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Jesus doesn’t call us to comfort, but to character.

To be faithful, not flashy.

🗣 “Solomon says, ‘People have lost the path’ Jesus says, ‘Let Me help you walk the narrow path.’”

🛠️ Application:

Get honest about your weak spots.

Ask for accountability.

Let the Holy Spirit shape your Monday-through-Saturday self—not just your Sunday self.

We can view our comfort with our character in mind.

✨ Conclusion: The Gift of Perspective

Ecclesiastes 7:23–25 NIV

23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said, “I am determined to be wise”— but this was beyond me. 24 Whatever exists is far off and most profound— who can discover it? 25 So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.

Life will feel crooked. It won’t always be fair. But when we see life through the wisdom of Jesus, we get a new lens—one that brings peace, purpose, and perseverance.

Jesus doesn’t promise clarity on every mystery—but He is the way, the truth, and the life.

As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.

Leonardo Da Vinci (Italian Painter and Scholar)

👟 Next Step Challenge:

This week, pick one:

Reflect on where you’ve been chasing stuff over joy.

Journal what a “funeral perspective” teaches you about what really matters.

Ask God daily to develop your character, even if it costs you comfort.

Solomon spent his life trying to solve the puzzle. He tried wisdom, wealth, women, work, and philosophy—but it always came up empty. In Ecclesiastes 7:23, he throws his hands up: “I tried to be wise—but this was beyond me.”

But then Jesus comes on the scene—not just as a teacher of wisdom, but as Wisdom Himself. And He says, “Come to me. If you’re tired of chasing answers, if life doesn’t make sense, if your questions have worn you out… I’ve got something better. I’ll give you rest.”

You don’t need to know everything. You just need to know Jesus. He doesn’t hand us a manual—He invites us into a relationship.

Solomon ended with frustration. But Jesus ends with peace. The invitation is still open: “Come to Me.”

We desire to build a Christ-centered life. That will require a perspective check—

Jesus be the center...