Life's Meaning

I stood on the edge of the little knot of younger men, not really in the conversation, just listening to them talk. They boasted about their golf scores, comparing skills and experiences on this course or that one. They talked about the new Xbox games they played. Of course, there were the comments about their jobs, mostly negative. They were loud, profane, and having a good time. Their enthusiasm for life was infectious and overflowing. One could have concluded they did not have a care in the world, and perhaps, given the optimism of the young, they don't. But, there was a gap in all the chatter. The spiritual dimension of life was missing from the conversation. I'd like to have asked, "Are you making time for the care of your soul? Is God included in all of these things you're enjoying?"

Don't read me wrong today. There's not a thing wrong with enjoying a great game of golf, playing a great round of Madden 7 on your Xbox, or seeking success in the workplace. Solomon, the wise, agrees - "I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19, NIV) But, that's not the whole of life!

The reference point from which our pleasure and work takes meaning is God. Solomon, the wise king, started his life with God, but wandered into pursuits of so many other things - women, wealth, fame, great accomplishments. He lost touch with the Lord and when he did, he also lost his way. He was like an explorer without a compass. But, with age, he found his way back to God, though with many regrets now part of his unchangeable history. He shares with us the conclusions he came to, albeit too late:
"Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and no longer enjoy living.
It will be too late then to remember him, when the light of the sun and moon and stars is dim to your old eyes, and there is no silver lining left among the clouds. ...

Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad." (Ecclesiastes 12:1-14, NLT)

In Christ Jesus, life is made meaningful. To many that sounds like a command to spend all of life singing hymns and going to church, but that's so far from the truth! Knowing the Lord as the center of one's life, makes the sunrise brighter, the colors of life more vibrant, the experiences of life more exciting. Religion will steal the joy of life with all its regulations of human behavior, attempts at curbing the excesses of our sensual appetites. The Word exposes the futility of that substitute for a relationship with God - “Don’t handle, don’t eat, don’t touch.” Such rules are mere human teaching about things that are gone as soon as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, humility, and severe bodily discipline. But they have no effect when it comes to conquering a person’s evil thoughts and desires." (Colossians 2:21-23, NLT)

But then the passage goes on to call us to love Christ and from our love of Him to discover a rich, full life. "So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective." (Colossians 3:1-2, The Message) As we know Him, living with a heart and mind that seek His will, He guides us away from empty pursuits, helps us avoid the dead ends that sin leads us into, and opens up opportunities for life that is amazingly creative, and eternally rewarding.

Steve Green sings -
To love the Lord our God is the heartbeat of our mission,
the spring from which our service overflows.
Across the street or around the world,
the mission's still the same;
proclaim and live the truth in Jesus' name!
______________________

Lord God, be the Center of my life.
Holy Spirit fill me up with Your Presence,
so that I will love purely, take joy from service,
live creatively, and be protected from sin's deceptions.
I pray, Lord Jesus, that I will find loving You
the treasure of my life - and express that love
by serving, working, playing - all for the glory of God.
Amen.