Empty Labor

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 (KJV)

¹⁰ And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. ¹¹ Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Henry Ward Beecher said, "Success is full of promise until men get it and then it is a last-year's nest from which the birds have flown."  Solomon epitomizes this quote.  Nothing was ever enough for him.  He has chased after pleasure through enjoyment and entertainment.  Now he tries to find satisfaction through employment.   There can be joy in doing great projects, but what happens when the task is finished?  Solomon found delight in all his labor, but afterward, when he considered all his works, he saw only "vanity and vexation of spirit".  

The journey was a pleasure, but the destination brought pain.   What a discovery for Solomon.  He was involved in many things in life only to realize down the line it was empty.  I cannot think of any person who loves to be involved in empty labor.  We have to evaluate our labor to make sure it has significance and we are not wasting time.  God has only given us a certain amount of time to fulfill his purpose for our lives. What gives our labor value is when God is included in our labor and our labor lines up with his purpose for our life.  We live in a society where many people hide behind work to avoid an unfulfilled life and issues in life.  That is why many people in the job force change jobs like people change clothes.  However, a workaholic is often trying to escape a meaningless, unfulfilled and unsatisfied life.   Are you hiding behind something to cover-up feeling unfulfilled in life?

There are many people who are overachievers and overachieve all of their lives because they work hard.  If you are an overachiever, have you evaluated what drives you to overachieve?  We live in a fast paced society and competition in the workforce is very high.  Is your motivation competition? Many people literally overwork themselves in order to get ahead, reach a certain status in life, or to define their identity.  Don’t fall prey to societies standards.  Sometimes we work so hard that we cannot enjoy the fruits of our labor. 

God instituted work in Genesis 2:15 when he tells Adam, “to dress and to keep it”, the Garden of Eden.  I am not saying to work hard or not to work hard, but make sure you have the right motivation for the labor you are involved in.  Our sole motivation for anything we do in life is to do it in a way so it pleases God.  Are you fulfilling God’s purpose for your life?

God bless and keep you is my prayer!

The Pleasure Principle!

Ecclesiastes 2:1-3 (KJV)
¹ I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
² I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
³ I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

           In this chapter, Solomon shares with us the different ways he tried to find purpose in pleasure.  In the first section of this chapter, Solomon tried to find meaning in life through the enjoyment of pleasure.  Solomon uses the word eight times in this book which suggests pleasure was a primary focus for him at one time.  Solomon was involved in hedonism.  Hedonism is a school of thought which argues pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure.  It focuses on what makes one feel good without any pain.  As I look at the world we live in, it is a pleasure driven world.  Many people will do anything to buy temporary experiences to help them escape from the burdens of life. 

What form of pleasure have you used trying to escape the burdens of life?  If you live for pleasure alone, enjoyment will decrease unless the intensity of the pleasure increases. Then you reach a point of diminishing returns when there is little or no enjoyment at all, only bondage.   That is why Solomon continues to use the phrases “vanity” and “vexation of spirit.”  Pleasure’s trap is it will have you chasing a feeling you will never get again. 

What does pleasure have you pursuing or chasing after?  When pleasure alone is the center of life, the result will ultimately be disappointment and emptiness.   Pleasure can never bring true satisfaction because it only appeals to part of the person and ignores the whole person. Benjamin Franklin sums it up well about pleasure when he states “many a man thinks he is buying pleasure, when he is really selling himself to it.”  He lets us know that pleasure costs and we have to be careful not to allow it to hold us captive.

God bless and keep you is my prayer.