When I was younger, I would read Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes and think he had a fatalistic and pessimistic view of life. Now that I'm older, my perspective has changed—on life, death, and his words. How so, you may ask? For the answer, let's look at another one of Solomon's conclusions for one last lesson in our 'Never Too Old For Purpose' series. I hope you'll see, as I have, just how wise he really was:
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4).
None of us are getting out of here alive. What's more, while we're here, we're going to experience tears, setbacks, failures, which we dread, as well as the things we love, like family, work we enjoy, and simple pleasures such as nature and food. While it's important to determine how we will live, it's also necessary to determine how we will die. No, I don't mean the way we will die, but the attitude we will have toward it.
As I write, I'm sitting with an elderly relative. I'm watching this person process their current situation and they have questioned why God would allow this to happen to them. I'm not judging this person, for I ask myself, How would I face and react to what they are going through? Can I decide now how I will do so? I've determined so far that I'm a teacher and I've spent most of my time teaching people how to live. Now I must teach people and those closest to me how to die, and much of that involves a mindset that faces the reality of their and my mortality. Solomon wrote,
I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” (Ecclesiastes 3:18-21).
Notice that Solomon "said to myself." That meant he was evaluating what he saw and was turning it into a life-and-death philosophy that would be of benefit to others. What was his conclusion?
"So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?" (Ecclesiastes 3:22).
Do you enjoy your work? Are you preparing for your inevitable end? How are you doing that? Are you giving thought to how you will die? I pray you have many years left on earth, that this is a time to live for you and those closest to you. But eventually, you will have to face the fact that there is a time to die. There's no better way to prepare for that day than to leave a legacy of joyous purpose work produced with an eye toward eternity. Doing that will equip you with the life philosophy that has been the theme of this series, and this is that you will never be too old for purpose. Have a blessed week.
Comments