Eccl 4:4-6 The Capitalist
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Eternity-Inspiration for Friday 14th November 1997
Eccl 4:4-6 The Capitalist
(Ecclesiastes 4:4-6 NIV) And I saw that all labor and all
achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is
meaningless, a chasing after the wind. {5} The fool folds his hands
and ruins himself. {6} Better one handful with tranquillity than two
handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
Solomon's cynical generalisations continue. People do not want to
be equal. They want to be better than the person next door. The
average man or woman does not envy a millionaire, they envy the
person who got promoted ahead of them in the same office. So they
try harder next time and labour and achievement is produced. So goes
the theory. Thus saith Solomon. This is the theory of
capitalism foreshadowed before its time. Can such a cynical "law" be
of God? Has he designed the world to work only if we envy each
other? The answer must be a resounding "No". What then is the
alternative.
The driving force for doing anything should be faith, hope and
love - not envy. We should work for God's praise and reward and
from a heart filled with God's love. God intends Christians to be
men and women of faith.They do not look at their neighbours or even
at this world but long for a heavenly land. (Hebrews 11:14-16 NIV)
People who say such things show that they are looking for a country
of their own. {15} If they had been thinking of the country they had
left, they would have had opportunity to return. {16} Instead, they
were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is
not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for
them.
How do we do this? By having a clear sense of what God wants us to do
then implementing that. Great satisfaction comes from doing what God
wants. A satisfaction much deeper than anything envy may offer. For
me it is in editing Eternity Online Magazine. I do this because I
believe it is my ministry from God to be pursued diligently by faith.
I strive for excellence and quality but do not consciously compete
with others. Like an athlete I strive to do a "personal best" and do
not turn my head to look at how the person "in the next lane" is
doing. I hope I rejoice in the success of other ministries.
Verses 5&6 are like a Zen parable. Except it is not one had clapping
but one hand full. Person 1 in the drama is a fool. He folds his
hands, they are empty, he is lazy and ruins himself. Person two has
one hand full of possessions and the other full of tranquility. This
is ideal. Person three has two hands full of possessions but is full
of toil and striving after wind. There is no quality of life. This
teaches us that we need to think in terms of quality as well as
quantity and to reflect and ask ourselves "what do I really want
from life". Then get it. You may have to drop one handful of
"things" so your life can be filled with inner peace.
So we have toured capitalism in three verses of the Bible and what
have we found? That envy is a great motivator but faith, love and
hope are better ones. That laziness destroys us, that greed leaves
us without a soul, and that perhaps we need to be faith-filled
servants of God with one hand full.
Prayer:
Lord gives us the sense to live by faith like a pilgrim, full of
peace with one hand full. Amen.
---------------------------------------------------------------
This devotional may be freely distributed for ministry purposes
Questions and comments may be sent to:
[email protected]
(not to the list please)
John Edmiston ([email protected])
Editor - Eternity Online Magazine http://www.eternitymag.com/
A Biblical Corner of The Internet
Eternity Inspiration - Free daily devotionals
http://www.eternitymag.com/etinsp.htm
Tell your friends to subscribe!