Most people become sad as a long vacation comes to an end. “We live for vacations,” they say. And so when a break ends, their zest for life wanes, and all their energy is once again devoted to pursuing means to have another great holiday so that they could escape their everyday life.
As followers of Jesus, we are however discouraged from pursuing “situational happiness.” This kind of happiness only comes once we arrive at a certain point or season of life, or once we have achieved a certain goal, or amassed a particular amount of wealth that will allow us to finally do what we have always wanted to do. And once we are able to do it, we yearn for more. Contentment remains a concept that can never be grasped,
“There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.” John 6:1-3
On the contrary, the kind of life we are to live, is the genuinely abundant one, offered to us by none other than our Messiah, Jesus Christ.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
The abundant life God has planned for us is the kind of life we would not want to escape from. It may not be exempt from inevitable life difficulties, but it is marked by joy and peace regardless of the circumstances we face.
“Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.” Ecclesiastes 5:19-20
If we think about it, a good life is not lived through a one-time big time vacation, after which we go through the hustle and bustle of a daily life we feel stressed to live. Instead, a good life is a daily experience that brings us simple joys that money cannot buy, and the world can never take away. It is having peace and contentment, knowing that our real security and treasure is with our Lord Jesus Christ.
“And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15
And so, the Lord blesses us one day at a time. He gives us the opportunity to pursue what really matters in life — fellowship with God, time to spend with our loved ones, chance to enjoy His blessings, and serve others with love.
“I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.” Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
As for the bad life, well, it also does not happen overnight. Yes, a wrong crucial decision can suddenly lead to a dreadful existence but most miserable lives are a result of wrong day-to-day choices, failure to make God-honoring decisions, and refusal to severe the entanglements of a sinful lifestyle.
“If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life’s good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.” Ecclesiastes 6:3
So what are we to do? Well, we choose God every single day. We honor Him in all our daily decisions. We do not just worship Him every Sunday, but we seek Him everyday of our lives through intentional prayer and bible reading and reflection. We make His teachings and commands as the primary foundation of every decision we make — not just the crucial ones.
When we choose to live a life of worship, we get to allow our Heavenly Father to be the God of our every day.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to
ponder on Ecclesiastes 6:1-12 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Are you living for God every single day? Or is His presence in your life only confined to Sundays?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for being my God every single day. I praise you for longing to bless us daily, and so, please grant me the confidence to come to you, and the grace to always choose to honor you in the choices I make everyday of my life. Amen.
