Ecclesiastes 5 – 6
Verse 5:2 reminds me of the Book of James:
Do not be too hasty to speak your mind before God or too quick to make promises you won’t keep, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, watch your tongue; let your words be few.
In today’s world we all like to talk without a reason. Social media has taken this to the next level where somehow we think everyone in the world cares what our meal looks like. We all talk without really listening and just end up an impersonal mess. I often think this post is an example of my narcissistic rants. My point is we need to stop posting every personal detail of our day and start listening to others and see where we can help. The other byproduct of being silent is our foot tends to not need to be dislodged from our mouths as often.
Verse 5:7 is something I have been guilty of from time to time:
Daydreaming and excessive talking are pointless and fleeting things to do, like trying to catch hold of a breath. What good comes from them? It is better to quietly reverence God.
Dreams are good but at the same time fantasies can be detrimental in one’s life. I talk my “lottery” fantasy, where I was destine to win and therefore HAD to play. I would spend hours with spread sheets figuring out how I would invest and use what I won. This is what Solomon would have considered pointless, since it was fleeting and a waste of time. The key is dream big, but be based in reality. Do what you can and know God will do the rest. If winning the lottery is part of HIS equation, great, don’t focus on a dream and have it consume your thoughts.
Verse 6:5 ends a very morbid though of Solomon:
Though the child never sees the sun or knows anything, it still had more rest than the person who cannot enjoy what he has.
In this the “child” is stillborn and never had a breath of life. He was comparing this to those who live a life of hard labor and no joy. We need to look at Solomon’s words and understand that he “had it all” and was still depressed. Notice in his writings the focus on God brings him joy, so that is the lesson we must take from this. Nothing in this world means squat, the nice home we will move into soon will be trashed in 40 years. The key in everything is it’s all fleeting, enjoy the moment but focus on God for the long term!