Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life Ecclesiastes Wisdom About Work

Two Views of the World Secularist World View Theistic World View

“Americans worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship.”

The Big Questions Is life a job? Is fatigue next to godliness? Is a handout preferable to a workout?

THE VANITY OF LABOUR UNDER THE SUN

Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 2:18-22)

Wisdom Statements All we attain will be left to another. The beneficiary may quickly waste or lose that which has been gained in years of toil. Work has its own attending worry, anxiety, and pressure.

Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. …Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun: There is one alone, without companion: He has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his labors, nor is his eye satisfied with riches. But he never asks, “For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?” This also is vanity and a grave misfortune. (Ecclesiastes 4:4-8)

Wisdom Statements Excessive work is often the result of a "keep-up the Jones' attitude", v. 4 Many are so busy working they deprive themselves of the simple pleasures of life and then discover there is no one to benefit from their labor, v. 8

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not satisfied. …For what more has the wise man than the fool? What does the poor man have, who knows how to walk before the living? (Ecclesiastes 6:7-9)

Wisdom Statements There is vanity in living for our appetites, v. 7. The appetite of the wise man is never satisfied nor is there any advantage to the man who has little, v. 8.

GUIDEPOSTS FOR LIVING

Idleness is not the answer to the vanity of labor. The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. (Ecclesiastes 4:5) Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands the house leaks. (Ecclesiastes 10:18)

Learn the value of working hard Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Prepare for an uncertain future If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie. He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good. (Ecclesiastes 11:3-6)

Learn the value of rest and the enjoyment of what you have! Better a handful with quietness than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:6) Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. (Ecclesiastes 6:9)

Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor. Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. (Ecclesiastes 2:10,24) I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13)