The Wisdom of Vanity: A Season for Everything
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Christian Standard Bible Chapter 3
There is an occasion for everything,
and a time for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;
3 a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
6 a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
8 a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What does the worker gain from his struggles? 10 I have seen the task that God has given the children of Adam to keep them occupied. 11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. 13 It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. 14 I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of him. 15 Whatever is, has already been, and whatever will be, already is. However, God seeks justice for the persecuted.
Life is Finite, but God is Eternal
Rope analogy
Life goes through Seasons, but God is Unchanging
Life can be unpredictable. One day your riding high the next your fish dies and you sprain your ankle. You guys know this very well. Who can predict that we will go through a pandemic and spend almost two years doing online school? Who can predict when loved ones get sick and pass away or when our feelings get hurt. There is a time for everything good and bad.
Take a look at the list of examples given in chapter three. What are some of the examples that stick out to you and why?
Whatever season life throws at us we can trust in a God who is bigger than the seasons. God is unchanging. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
6 “Because I, the Lord, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart from generation to generation.
8 “Remember this and be brave; take it to heart, you transgressors! 9 Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and no one is like me. 10 I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: my plan will take place, and I will do all my will.
7 Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself: 14 I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you. 15 And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute. 17 Because God wanted to show his unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Life slips through our fingers, but make the most of it
You cannot stop time and that is okay. Our lives are an hourglass. With each second another grain of sand falls to the bottom. One day all the sand of our lives will have fallen through the gap and we will pass on into eternity. We are all going to die one day. Life is very short, and how we spend the time that we have is very important. I am at the least a quarter of the way through my life. I probably won’t live past 100 so its safe to say that my life is at least 25% over with. That number is likely higher. I am going to die but my life will not be in vain. God has gotten to use me in incredible ways already and I know that He will continue to use me as I follow Him and remain obedient to what He calls me to. Remembering how short life is gives us such great perspective. I fancy myself a hopeless romantic. This passage really helped me when I was in a difficult season of life. I was Nineteen and wasting my life in a relationship with a girl that didn’t care about my feelings, didn’t care about what I needed, and encouraged me to make some of the worst decisions of my life. I was so blind to everything I couldn’t see what big mistakes I was making. She stayed in St. Louis but I came home for the summer to be the intern at FBC Artesia. Once I got a little space between us I began to realize I was making a huge mistake. I had to go to two camps that summer. The first was our student camp. At the student camp I felt like God might be calling me to move away from STL and start over in Artesia. The second camp was kids camp and I absolutely did not want to go. It was at a crappy camp that was hot and gross. I ended up having to walk over 25 miles in one week at that camp because everything was so spaced out. That week, even though I didn’t want to go, was one of the most important weeks of my life and that camp, even though it was exhausting has become near and dear to my heart. Every second of free time I had I was reading through Ecclesiastes. I needed wisdom to help me make my decision and so I turned to this book. I realized there is a season for everything, and my season of living in STL was over. I was done wasting my life with my ex girlfriend and I needed to move on. I needed to choose what would honor God with my time. It was a hard decision but it is what led me to Tiffany, its what led me to this state that I love, and what led me to ENMU and Central Baptist. Everything has its time and life is to precious to waste it on things that don’t matter. Life is too short to not love people, to not serve people, to not care for people. Arguments and frustrations seem so petty compared to the eternity of God. And a life spent on serving yourself seems like such a waste.
15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
There is a lost world that desperately needs to hear the hope we have in Christ. Life is too short to not share the Gospel with the people around us. There is a church body that desperately needs us to minister to and share our spiritual gifts with. It is easy to look at time and think, life is so short what purpose is there, everything seems like such vanity and meaningless, but if you play sports you know, the time on the clock may tick down but the mission remains the same. And with every second that ticks we become more and more desperate to accomplish what needs to be done. Score the goal, hit the shot, catch the pass. We don’t know how long our life will last, and with every tick we are closer to the end, so lets run the race set before us with endurance. Do what God has called us to with passion and purpose. Don’t waste your time but be focused. Don’t flounder but be intentional, with your love, with your kindness, with how you feel towards people around you. Live life on purpose not on accident.
Life can cause anxiety, but enjoy what God has given you
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
We are created for eternity
11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.
Remember that life exists over the sun. Think about our string. We are created for so much more than what this life has to offer. How we act in this tiny little section is so important. Live in wisdom. Live in peace. Live in love.