You may find it strange that the book Ecclesiastes, which begins with "Vanity (or Meaningless), vanity, everything is vanity" provides answers for living a meaningful, beautiful and good life. A simple answer can be found in Ecclesiastes 5. It is respect God, trust not wealth but share it, and be appreciative of God enabling us to enjoy the fruit the work that we like.In a Chinese Bible Study on this chapter 5, I gave a title to this chapter, namely, "The Beautiful and Good Life". Such a meaningful and beautiful life begins with relating to God and acknowledging God as God, giving Him our respect by listening and obeying Him and thereby living out His image in our lives. A key part of our testimony is "keeping promises" which is also living a life of integrity.
We trust God and not our wealth. Seeking wealth alone is manifestation of our greed. Greed is a sin that is very deceptive. Most people will never admit to being greedy. It is revealed through feeling of never having enough. Wealth promises much but never satisfy us fully. With much wealth accumulated, the greed in us wanted more. The only way to counter greed to give and share out our wealth.
Wealth is not trustworthy as well as it could disappeared suddenly like in the 2008-2009 global financial crisis when the trustworthy banks of hundred of years old were bankrupted and wealthy men committed suicides when their wealth were lost in the crisis. Naked come and naked go need not be applicable in our lives when we know how to invest into the treasury of heaven by investing in relationship buildings, the sharing of the gospels, the lives of people, the teaching and giving that benefits the future generations. Leaving a meaningful legacy enables us to beat this 'nuked come nuked go' meaninglessness of life.
The beautiful and good life is not in the length of our life on earth, but in appreciation of God, giving us a healthy life to enjoy this life to the full, to enjoy the rewards of our work and to work with joy, besides the abundance that God has given us and share this abundance to benefit others. Abundance is not just in material wealth also in the spiritual dimension of love, joy, peace and relationships.
May you have this beautiful and good life.
The beautiful and good life is not in the length of our life on earth, but in appreciation of God, giving us a healthy life to enjoy this life to the full, to enjoy the rewards of our work and to work with joy, besides the abundance that God has given us and share this abundance to benefit others. Abundance is not just in material wealth also in the spiritual dimension of love, joy, peace and relationships.
May you have this beautiful and good life.
Lim Liat (c) 4 Nov 2013
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