Ecclesiastes 2:1
I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility.
The extent to which you understand your identity in Christ will directly affect the pleasures you choose to pursue. As a young man, I was taught that the world’s understanding of pleasures would mold me into an ungodly man if I was not careful to avoid them. Do your pleasures control your identity today, or does your identity in Christ have control over your pleasures?
There were not many pleasures in Solomon’s day that he had not experimented with at one point or another. Chapter two is his testimony to this fact. It is important for us to learn two lessons from Solomon in this chapter.
1) Not all of Solomon’s “pleasures” were wrong in and of themselves. One can hardly blame a guy for enjoying his laughter. The larger problem becomes evident when we realize that Solomon was using his laughter as a gauge in his search for significance.
2) Whether the pleasures Solomon sought were inherently good or not, they all ended in futility because not one of them was based in his identity as a child of God. You must make certain that your confidence comes from God and not from the pleasures you enjoy.
So what makes you tick today? Do you define yourself as a comedian, an athlete, or an “A” student? If so, what happens the day no one laughs at your jokes, you break your leg, or you bomb a final exam? Does your life go down the drain along with the meaningless pleasures on which you based your identity? We must all learn from Solomon’s mistakes! If our self-worth is based on any pleasure other than being a Child of God, it will only be a matter of time before it all comes crashing down.
Dead End Pleasure
2 years back, i would have described myself to be "close to perfection"… well, at least, that's how I made myself look…
to everyone at school – i was the perfect "A" student… i was the perfect friend (loyal and dependable)… i was even the perfect athlete being in the volleyball team ( that was the only thing that kept me from becoming the ultimate nerd at school )…
to everyone at church – i was the perfect pastor's daughter… i was a youth leader… i carried myself with maturity and even "walked the talk"… i was an active member of the praise and worship band and was "inspiration" to many in our church – both adults and among my peers…
to everyone at home – i was the dependable eldest sister – responsible and hard-working…
i looked indestructible… but then a bombshell came and i found that i was torn between WHO i knew everyone thought i was – my obligation and my duty to them – and the WHO i knew that was truly me… – the identity i knew that was tied to Christ -….
it was also then that i realized that although i strived for perfection – i was always frustrated with myself because it was NEVER enough… there were always people who just didn't understand… and then, there was myself – my toughest critique…
at first, i struggled because pride forbid that i would actually admit by weakness… but the more i realized that perfection is not what God requires of me… and that the only thing he wanted was for me to COME to him… as i was…
it was then that i began to see myself in the light that God sees me…
who am i? i am his beloved…
What a wonderful testimony axcvilla.
Don't you love that pharse… "I am His beloved." It's wonderful to be a child of the King.
Thanks for sharing.