October 24, 2015

But whoever is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no more reward, and even the memory of them is lost. Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.” Ecclesiastes 9:4-5, 10

“When I first began working in the small office I now rent, the only inhabitants were a few mopey flies. Several of them had gone the way of all flesh, and their bodies littered the floor and windowsills. I disposed of all but one, which I left in plain sight. That fly carcass reminds me to live each day well. Death is an excellent reminder of life, and life is a gift. Solomon said, “Anyone who is among the living has hope” (Eccl. 9:4). Life on earth gives us the chance to influence and enjoy the world around us. We can eat and drink happily and relish our relationships (vv. 7,9).

Gladness & purpose can be found by relying on God’s strength.  We can also enjoy our work. Solomon advised, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (v. 10). Whatever our vocation or job or role in life, we can still do things that matter, and do them well. We can encourage people, pray, and express love with sincerity each day. The writer of Ecclesiastes says, “Time and chance happen to them all. . . . No one knows when their hour will come” (vv. 11-12). It’s impossible to know when our lives on earth will end, but gladness and purpose can be found in this day by relying on God’s strength and depending on Jesus’ promise of eternal life (John 6:47).” (Our Daily Bread, September 21, 2105, A Fly’s Reminder)

I think there are two things that we need to remind ourselves of each and every day. The first is to remind ourselves of our mortality. It is easy to slip into the time warp that is “living life”. We wake up, we do our work, we go to bed, we wake up, and we do it all again. When we get into the avalanche that are the day-to-day routines, we get swept away and find it difficult to hit the pause button. But before we begin each day, we can kneel in prayer to thank G*d for another day to do G*d’s will, for as it says in Ecclesiastes, “Anyone who is among the living has hope.”

The second is to remind ourselves that no matter what it is we do with our lives, we should do it to our very best. We should put our “all in all” in our daily work, or as Ecclesiastes says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Martin Luther believed that to be a faithful Christian, there was no need to become a priest or a nun — that everyone could be a faithful Christian in whatever endeavor they were employed.

Take time today to remind yourself of your mortality, to thank G*d for every day, and to work with all of your strength and might in whatever tasks you take on today.

Pastor Dave