Episode 367

TODAY’S READING:

2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” 3 What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? 4 Generations come, and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

Ecclesiastes 1:3-4

 

Hello and good morning! Harsh words, right? I know they are a tough pill to swallow.

 

But follow me here. I want to take a moment and think about mummies. This time of year, all the cute cookies come out. All the cute spooky decor hangs, and in the midst of the cauldrons and the eyeballs are our little friend, the mummy.

 

Now one thing I always found interesting about the culture is that they would bury themselves with all their riches.

 

Now, how many of us know that when we leave this side of eternity, everything we worked for is not coming with us.

 

Solomon was a wise man. The son of David. He wrote the book of Proverbs, and he wrote this book at the end of his life. Followed by the song of Solomon. After everything he had done, all of the military power, all of the money he made, everything he did, he looks back, and he warns the reader that everything under the sun is meaningless.

 

I don’t want to scare you this morning but empower us to remember what the true meaning of life is. Working hard is important, providing for our families is important, careers, homes, clothes, all important. But today’s prayer is to remind us of our heart behind everything we do.

 

I hope we are the kind of people who look back at the end of our lives and say, wow, I was a good and faithful servant. I took care of my family. I had a blast; I enjoyed life. I didn’t get lost in the riches of this world. Please don’t get me wrong, building businesses is important. Starting foundations is important. Getting degrees, winning athletic championships, all important and vital to your personal growth.

 

But let us be generous with what we have. Let us not hold it all in for ourselves. Because at the end of it all, it isn’t coming with us to heaven.

 

I hope we are a generous community, a generous community that is present in their lives and the lives of their family. Let us not sacrifice the riches for the joy of today. Build, but come home and celebrate with your loved ones. 

 

PRAYER

Father God, we ask for the strength to look at our lives and understand that it is nothing without you. We look at what we are building, and we remember why we are doing so. Lord, help us in being generous. Not in the future when we have plenty, but right now with the little. We know it isn’t coming with us when we get to heaven so let us learn to release our riches and bless others. We understand that that principle is a hard one but a necessary one to learn to find true happiness in the here and now. We love you with everything, AMEN!