There are days when much of the view expressed in the Bible’s Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes just seems to fit.
In the first chapter, the author Qoheleth insists that “All things are vanity!” He looks at nature and how “the sun rises and the sun goes down” and “All rivers go to the sea” … “All speech is labored; there is nothing one can say,” and he adds that eye and ear are not satisfied with seeing or hearing.
“Nothing is new under the sun,” he complains, adding “There is no remembrance of the men of old.”
After lamenting what seems to be useless toil and death for all, Qoheleth concludes at one point that everything is “a vanity and a chase after wind.”
Probably most of us have had times when our view of the world resembles much of what is in this book, when we look ahead and see nothing but the usual misery, weariness, efforts that go nowhere, unfairness and folly.
Once in this kind of mood, it is hard to jolt ourselves out of it.
Like with many soured views of life that are not clinical depression or the like, turning to Jesus can make a difference. Knowing Him can keep us going and even lift our thoughts, hopes and dreams up out of the downward spiral, whether our situation does or doesn’t change. It is a spiritual battle to find meaning in life’s ups and downs.
The saints teach us the value of faithfully bearing our crosses. They tell us that all that happens to us can be used by God for our benefit, always with heaven in mind. God can for example use our types of poverty to awaken our awareness of our need for Him.
We might even realize a profound truth: our sufferings and sorrows can, when accepted and offered up, help others in need. A speaker I heard long ago who was going through cancer treatments happily said with conviction that by offering up her suffering, “I can make a difference from here to help a (poor) child in Africa!”
For most of us, old age and/or illness brings fewer activities and may separate us from much of society’s more pleasant distractions. Looking at the experiences of others we know, most of us can attest that things can get very bad very quickly.
We often hear that God won’t give us any trial that we can’t handle. However, I believe that thought is more accurately quoted “… that God and I can’t handle.”
Jesus doesn’t expect us to face any trial alone; He is always with us whether or not we can tell He is there. He allows us to feel deep loneliness to help us turn to Him and make room for Him in our hearts and in our lives. But we need to accept God’s help and not allow bitterness to barricade Him out.
A connection with God and a friendship with Jesus in good times is extremely helpful to have before we stumble down any dark path of life. But even if we haven’t made the time for our friend and Savior, a downward slide is a good time to start that relationship.
What happens to us in life may seem random, but all of it can help us come closer to Christ. “Your cross is your portal to your relationship with Jesus,” a speaker said in a recent online session.
Knowing God and growing in that relationship doesn’t depend on a perfect arrangement of life. God wades right into the muck of life, and He is capable of using all of it for our benefit, spiritual or otherwise.
Qoheleth had seen much in his life, and in reading him we realize that in many ways his time was not all that different from today. He describes great unfairness, how no one knows the future, how desires are vain and how “oppression can make a fool of a wise man.” He did point to God but didn’t have the wider understanding of Jesus and His cross and its meaning.
But we have the New Testament. We know that Jesus is the light of the world. He gives our lives meaning, and we can learn from everything — good and bad, easy and hard.
Life is a journey. Our paths may differ, but with God’s help, they can all lead us to heaven!
