Eccl. 1 – Shockingly Refreshing

I grew up in western Colorado. While it certainly gets cold in the winter (and I’ve shoveled my fair share of snow), what might surprise you, is how hot it can get in the summer. It’s a different kind of hot than we get in Texas. It’s a dry hot. It’s a hot that will scorch you in minutes. During the summer, we always seemed to end up swimming, tubing, wading, jumping from bridges and/or fishing in the Colorado River. Since it’s primarily melted snow runoff, it’s shockingly cold. But to a kid on a hot summer day, shockingly refreshing as well.

That’s how I feel about Ecclesiastes. It’s shockingly refreshing. Different. Surprising… Refreshing.

Each of us feel the pull to succeed, to climb the ladder, to follow the rules, to chase after… whatever we chase after… the list goes on. We put the pressure on ourselves to stay in the chase. And we feel the pressure from our culture to do the same. In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon, a man filled with God’s wisdom puts it all in perspective.

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?”

(Ecclesiastes 1:2-3)

Keep in mind here that Solomon is not having a pity party. He’s teaching something very important. And while he does not yet say what IS meaningful, we know what’s coming. I’m looking forward to the next few weeks of study in this book. I know it’s always challenging to me… especially in causing me to rethink my priorities.

Father, I pray that our labor is for you. I pray our toil is about you. Therefore our joy will be for and about you and your mission. Help me to see where I make it about me. Help me to see when I make it temporary and meaningless. I pray that you bring eternal things to the minds of your people. Amen.

Psalm 12 - Success

I had a great conversation with two contemporaries (and friends) today; one is a church planter here in Austin, the other the founder of a non-profit focusing on the fight to help end local poverty. Our conversation somehow made it to a discussion about how as believers we should measure success, and how when measured properly, is often accompanied with a peace that might not typically make sense.

While obviously, we should measure success by the standards in which we think God measures success, our nature is to measure it by the things that typically bring us honor in the minds of our contemporaries. Wanting to be honored among men is an amazingly powerful temptation and thus shape a majority of our lives. Made me think how important it is that we choose wisely those we allow to influence our pursuits. It also made this final thought from Psalm 12 come alive for me today:

“The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.” – Psalm 12:8

1 Sam 30 - Everyone Matters

"David replied, 'No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the forces that came against us. Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.' David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this." (1 Samuel 30:23-25)

Here's a thought from a close friend today on this passage:

In verse 30 it is as if every experience that David endures shows up in a positive way in his conduct. Arriving at Ziklag, his men were ready to revolt because he had led them away and during their absence their families were plundered. He responds by trusting and seeking God. But for me the most profound is the lesson he teaches his men about roles and responsibilities in a team.

“The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to battle”. I have long believed that for extraordinary performance to occur in an organization, three things must be in the minds of each individual; 1) they know their role 2) they believe it matters and 3) they are able to be proud of their work. David sets the tone for his leadership early, each will have a role in my kingdom and no role is more important than any other. We should always me mindful to extend that to our organizations, including our church body. We always say ‘thank you’ to each who are serving, but do we mean it with the same level of intensity for every role that is being performed or in our heart do we think some roles are more important than others?

His question is rhetorical. But I'll add another verse to affirm and remind us of his point

"As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other." (1 Corinthians 12:20-25)

Measuring Success

“The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul's officers, and his name became well known.” 1 Samuel 18:30

Success is a crazy thing. It’s measured in so many different ways, pursued in various forms, and comes with many levels of priority. If there is ever any doubt of where David found his success, then we simply have not read the story of David. Chapter 18 is no different. Throughout these scriptures we see the pattern of three things:

(1) Searching for and finding God’s leading and direction.

Vs. 28 “…Saul realized that the LORD was with David”

(2) Commitment to the role that is provided.

Vs. 5 “Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well.”

(3) Constant humility (the most intriguing to me).

Vs. 18 “But David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my family or my father's clan in Israel, that I should become the king's son-in-law?"

Vs. 23 “But David said, "Do you think it is a small matter to become the king's son-in-law? I'm only a poor man and little known."

So the lesson is obvious. Whether it’s succeeding as a man of God, a father, a husband, a boss, employee, friend, a neighbor… etc. It certainly requires all the above. When we measure success, better yet, when our success is truly judged, I would imagine these things will be the measuring stick.