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JimfromOhio

I am happlily married with 5 kids. I am an accoutant and worked in an accounting field for over 25 years. I like to make a habit of writing down whenever I have deep thoughts about God (so I won't forget). I really into Reformed Theology that is connected to Presbyterian Church in America.

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Location: Columbus, Ohio, United States

I enjoy having deep thoughts about God and put down what I actually think about (so I won't forget).

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

I am learning that my human life is meaningless !!!!

Reading Ecclesiastes, I found key verses that effected my spiritual thoughts of the book (The Message), added with my own words of how I view my OWN life. Nobody is going to remember what happened to me yesterday. Don't count on being remembered. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task--my reward to myself! But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. There was nothing to any of it. Everything in my human life is meaningless, my pleasures are meaningless, there is a time for everything, my advancements are meaningless, my riches are meaningless. I have learned that there is common destiny among us, materialistically, we are born with nothing and we will die with nothing. There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth. A right time for birth and another for death. A right time to plant and another to reap. A right time to get sick and another to heal. A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer. A right time to make love and another to abstain. A right time to embrace and another to part, A right time to search and another to count your losses. A right time to hold on and another to let go. A right time to rip out and another to mend. A right time to shut up and another to speak up. A right time to love and another to hate. But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time--but he's left me in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most I can out of life. Remember, the one who loves money is never satisfied with money, nor the one who loves wealth with big profits. More smoke. I arrived naked from the womb of my mother; I will leave in the same condition--with nothing. It is true that I learned more at funerals than at feasts. I have discovered what life is really about. There's a right time and way for everything. It's true that no one knows what's going to happen, or when. I will still never figure out the meaning of what God is doing on this earth. I can search as hard as I want but I am not going to make sense of it. No matter how smart I are, I won't get to the bottom of it. Here's what I understood: The good, the wise, and all that they do are in God's hands--but, day by day, whether it's love or hate we are dealing with, we don't know. Anything's possible. It's one fate for everybody. Life leads to death. Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over. Life as I know it, precious and beautiful, ends. The body is put back in the same ground it came from. The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it. It's all smoke, nothing but smoke. I understood that I should enjoy myself and the fruits of my labors, that my life is empty when I lived apart from God. God is my life and when I die, I will be with Him. My faith is not the only issue that God is looking for. I have learned legalism can't produce a pure heart. I must follow grace. My heart is where God meets me because that is where I make my decisions. My heart is where my desires and motives are located. My heart (flesh) search for pleasure, pride, passions and selfish motives. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, "Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be." (NLT) In Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do." (NLT) In Proverbs 21:2, "People may think they are doing what is right, but the Lord examines the heart." (NLT) I am learning that if I am seeking God for my own selfishness (self-interest) other than my personal salvation with Jesus Christ is a form of idolatry. I just have to know what I believe in and know what God expects from me. If I don't believe and obey correctly, then, my actions are worthless. My faith and obedience always pleases God, because my actions comes to grips with my own reality. As a Christian, I understand the reality of my life. Faith in God allows me to go as far as I can while trusting in God's grace to overcome the difficulties I face. My life as a Christian takes work and requires the commitment of my heart, mind and body. I must never forget that God's knowledge of me is very complete. He sees and knows my heart completely. He knows my desires, my goals, and my hopes. God accepts me as I am, with warts and all. I will not and do not worry about that because I trust my Lord. I will not put any hindrances in my paths of faith and hope in God. I know God is directing my paths and right now at 46 years old, I still don't know what God has plans for me However,. I have learned and know that all things work for good in the life of the believer. With Christ inside me, God has granted me the ability to understand the truth and live accordingly (1 John 1:5-6). I just keep on living and keeping God in my life. I must come to terms with my spiritual being inside me. Christ is not outside of me but He is inside me. Since Christ is within me, I must listen to His Word and walk in His steps (2 Corinthians 4:10). I am no longer according to the flesh because Christ is in me therefore, He is my Savior and Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:16). With Christ inside me, God has granted me the ability to understand the truth and live accordingly (1 John 1:5-6). I am God's letter, written in my heart to be known and read by everybody. I am to show that I am a letter from Christ, the result of His ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of my heart (2 Corinthians 3:2-3).