The Unenjoyed Life
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Eternity-Inspiration for Friday 21st November 1997
The Unenjoyed Life
(Ecclesiastes 6:3-6 NIV) 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. {4} It comes without meaning, it departs
in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. {5} Though it never
saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man--
{6} even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy
his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?
"A man may have a hundred children..." - that would be a great
humorous proof-text ! Question: How many children does God permit
us to have ? Ans: One hundred - see Eccl 6:3! The theology one can
develop from half a verse taken out of context!
Now to more serious matters.. It is said of Solomon "(1 Kings 11:3
NIV) He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred
concubines, and his wives led him astray." Solomon may well have had
100 children ! From these verses he seems to consider that a great
blessing. It ranks alongside living for a thousand years twice over.
Long life and many descendants were among the greatest blessings for
the Jews. However these blessings were meaningless unless they were
enjoyed. Having many blessings and being quite unable to rejoice in
them is not at all uncommon. In my university years I used to tutor
high school students in elementary chemistry and to do this I would
go to their homes. One such home was obviously wealthy and sumptuous.
There was leather furniture and thick pile carpet - all covered in
thick plastic sheeting so that you walked on and sat in hot sticky
plastic sheeting. They could not enjoy their blessings because they
were so afraid of losing them or damaging them. Miserable miserly
materialism.
There is a book by Barbara Johnson called "Pain Is Inevitable But
Misery Is Optional So Stick A Geranium In Your Hat And Be Happy".
Misery is optional. Yet it is opted for by many. I cannot see
the sense in choosing it. I think four or five things lie at the root
of much choosing of misery. The first is "entitlement", the second is
"revenge", the third is "the spirit of separation/isolation", the
fourth is "my standards", and the fifth is "look what you made me
do to myself". They all stem from that unjolly giant called self. To
explain them a bit more:
entitlement - eg "I am entitled to.(.be happy, that promotion, that
girl/guy, my own way, to get drunk, to hit my wife..) and I won't
be happy until I get what I am entitled to." Very little of what we
think we are entitled to is actually so.
revenge - "I won't be happy until "justice is done/I get him back".
You may be miserable for a long while.
the spirit of separation - "Misery and loneliness are better than
being part of group X, " or "I cannot be happy until I find the
perfect group". Lifelong misery guaranteed.
my standards - "I cannot be happy while my standards are being so
openly flouted around me in this slack and sinful world. When
everyone finally gets their act together then I will be happy".
Jesus was happy in a sinful world - not happy with it but happy in
it.
look at what you made me do to myself - "I am unhappy because you
made me unhappy by not giving me what I wanted when I asked for it so
I am going around in misery - I have to, you made me do it."
Blackmail rebounds.
I had a wonderful Chinese dinner tonight. I ENJOY my food, I love
Australian sunshine, I thank God for my friends, and I am so
thankful for my salvation and all I have in Christ. Many people
complain about their food, whinge about the weather, criticise
their friends and say of the gospel "its just pie in the sky when
you die". Misery is in their bones. Two people with exactly the same
level of material blessings can have vastly different abilities to
enjoy them.
Solomon points out that a stillborn child has a better fate than a
prosperous person who cannot enjoy their prosperity. The child does
not enjoy life but sees no pain, knows no fear, and has no bills to
pay or work to do. The miserable person does not enjoy life but has
work and pain and taxes and all the rest on top. In the end the
still-born child and the miserable man all end up in the same place
- the grave. Solomon is saying "If you don't enjoy life than you
might as well not live." This is almost Epicurean in that it seems
to evaluate the worth of a life by the amount of pleasure in it.
Actually Solomon is not endorsing Epicureanism. He is just pointing
out the obvious - that a miserable life is not life as God designed
it to be.
We enjoy life by deciding to enjoy it. Please think about that - its
true. Decide to enjoy your life and you will find each day a
pleasure. If you look for something to complain about you will find
it and you will become miserable by habit. If you look for something
to rejoice in you will find it and be happy by habit. (Under normal
circumstances - sometimes grief and deep loss and pain overwhelm our
ability to choose to be thankful and happy.) Life is mainly normal
and in that normality we can be "normally miserable" or "normally
happy".
This is getting long... To finalise - misery is not a Christian
virtue. The unenjoyed life is not an "abundant life" and has no
resemblance to life as God intends it to be for us. Life is to be
full of love and joy and peace. The abundant life is both a gift and
a choice. Without God giving it to us we cannot have it. Once we
have it we need to focus on it and receive it. We can only receive it
by letting go of self and going to the cross with Christ. As we
release our entitlements and need for revenge and the standards we
impose on others and the desire for people to conform to our will and
give us what we want - then - and only then - will we find our long
sought joy.
(Philippians 2:14-15 NIV) Do everything without complaining or
arguing, {15} so that you may become blameless and pure, children of
God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you
shine like stars in the universe
Prayer:
"They grumbled in the wilderness and were laid low.." O Lord how we
are like the Israelites of old - so unable to enjoy the miracles and
Presence and power of God. Professional complainers. Rid us of this
Lord and help us to enjoy our blessings and Your love. 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!