Living a Life of Balance
Living a life of Balance
Ecclesiastes 5
“For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.”
It is easy to become unbalanced in life. There are always tasks that demand our attention and priorities that demand our time and energy. The Book of Ecclesiastes is not a book of unbridled pessimism. Instead, it is a book of Balance. It examines life in a fallen world and challenges us to maintain a proper perspective and avoid extremes that distort our priorities and rob us of our joy.
Finding Balance begins with our relationship with God. We can become unbalanced even in our relationship with God and in our religious activities. What Ecclesiastes confronts is not someone passionate about faith and obedience to God’s word, but the one who becomes so engrossed in external rituals that they lose sight of the importance of obedience. A balanced faith begins with a humble recognition of God’s supremacy and exalted holiness. We should not come into His presence flippantly, as if God were just some cosmic teddy bear. We must never forget that He is the God of the universe who created all things and is holy and righteous. To approach God, we must do so with humility and a sense of awe and worship. The fool is the one who treats God with impertinence and levity. The fool fails to recognize the holiness of God and our unworthiness to stand in His presence. The fool prays with words that have no heart behind them. He is the one who is always asking God but never submitting to Him. Instead, the sage warns that one should come before God with a submissive attitude. While God invites us into His presence to seek His help, He also demands that we walk in obedience to Him. Prayers offered without submission become meaningless and an affront to God.
Solomon goes on to warn against trying to manipulate God by making rash vows that we do not intend to keep. It is offensive to God to attempt to manipulate Him to do our bidding. Instead, we are to submit to Him and live in fear of Him. The fear of God is the recognition that God is exalted above the earth and that He is not answerable to us. Often, we try to conform God to our expectations and desires. The heart of idolatry is not the worship of other gods; it is to conform God to our perspective, to define Him by what we desire. We humanize God to conform to our image so that He becomes someone we can control. We want a God who serves us rather than a God who demands obedience from us. Instead, we should approach God with a proper fear of Him. Rather than going to God only in prayer to demand a response, we should seek His direction and guidance (vs. 9). Solomon reminds us that meaning and purpose in life begin with a proper attitude towards God. To fail at this point is to abandon the basis for discovering meaning in life.
Ecclesiastes 5
“For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.”
It is easy to become unbalanced in life. There are always tasks that demand our attention and priorities that demand our time and energy. The Book of Ecclesiastes is not a book of unbridled pessimism. Instead, it is a book of Balance. It examines life in a fallen world and challenges us to maintain a proper perspective and avoid extremes that distort our priorities and rob us of our joy.
Finding Balance begins with our relationship with God. We can become unbalanced even in our relationship with God and in our religious activities. What Ecclesiastes confronts is not someone passionate about faith and obedience to God’s word, but the one who becomes so engrossed in external rituals that they lose sight of the importance of obedience. A balanced faith begins with a humble recognition of God’s supremacy and exalted holiness. We should not come into His presence flippantly, as if God were just some cosmic teddy bear. We must never forget that He is the God of the universe who created all things and is holy and righteous. To approach God, we must do so with humility and a sense of awe and worship. The fool is the one who treats God with impertinence and levity. The fool fails to recognize the holiness of God and our unworthiness to stand in His presence. The fool prays with words that have no heart behind them. He is the one who is always asking God but never submitting to Him. Instead, the sage warns that one should come before God with a submissive attitude. While God invites us into His presence to seek His help, He also demands that we walk in obedience to Him. Prayers offered without submission become meaningless and an affront to God.
Solomon goes on to warn against trying to manipulate God by making rash vows that we do not intend to keep. It is offensive to God to attempt to manipulate Him to do our bidding. Instead, we are to submit to Him and live in fear of Him. The fear of God is the recognition that God is exalted above the earth and that He is not answerable to us. Often, we try to conform God to our expectations and desires. The heart of idolatry is not the worship of other gods; it is to conform God to our perspective, to define Him by what we desire. We humanize God to conform to our image so that He becomes someone we can control. We want a God who serves us rather than a God who demands obedience from us. Instead, we should approach God with a proper fear of Him. Rather than going to God only in prayer to demand a response, we should seek His direction and guidance (vs. 9). Solomon reminds us that meaning and purpose in life begin with a proper attitude towards God. To fail at this point is to abandon the basis for discovering meaning in life.
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January
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