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Modern Day Ecclesiastes

I often just sit and think.

Typically its about the future, sometimes its the present, and rarely the past.

I was rather reflective today.
Thinking about life in general, wondering what I was doing, what's my purpose?
The more I thought about it the more I just got these feelings of hopelessness, futility, uselessness, and emptiness. I felt like the writer of Ecclesiastes. Everything seemed like vanity. There's nothing new, life just continues to go on. Problems come and go. The world keeps on spinning. Things that promise happiness prove to leave us wanting. Nothing seems to truly satisfy.

So what's the point?
We'll like Ecclesiastes, this isn't where I ended.
The writer concludes with this:

Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.


So there are things that matter. The trick is remembering what they are.
It's not anything that the world can offer.
It's a simple relationship with God.
The sooner we can get this figured out. The more satisfying our life will be.

Something to ponder, mull over, muse on, cogigate on, etc.

Here's something to think about.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Got it?
Alright, now that you have it, here are a few questions to follow up with.

Is this something worth changing, or is it just vain?

If it's vain, what does this say about the way you view yourself and how can that change?
If it is worth changing, what change can you implement to obtain this goal/idea/characteristic?

I dare you to avoid setting it aside as something that you'll never achieve, and actually start the modification process. It's not going to be easy, so don't just give up if you fail. It's a war, not every battle will be victorious, but determination is the catalyst of success. So, stay focused and continue to think about it and remember it as you make decisions. The more you filter your decisions through this desired change, the closer to it you will become.

Do you need a realignment?

Every so often our cars need to have their tires aligned. This need can come from a something specific (such as hitting a pothole or a curb, getting in an accident, etc.) or it can just come from natural uneven wear on the tires. Either way, the result is that your car "drifts" or "pulls," it no longer just goes straight.

This can happen in our spiritual life. Whether its something specific or you've just put in a lot of miles in with your walk, we can sometimes get off track. It's not that we're heading in the wrong direction, we're just "drifting."

So what do we do? If you've ever heard me speak, I almost always talk about the "fundamentals of the Christian faith." That's becasue I think they are so important. The little things are what keep you on track. To switch analogies, remember that the fundamentals in any sport are what allow you to to be successful in that sport.

My point is, when is the last time you have had a spiritual alignment? The last time that you got some things tweeked to make sure you're going straight.

I'll give you an example from my life. Remember, for you it can be anything. For me it was staying focused on the end. Let's go back a couple of weeks. I was still walking with God, reading my Bible praying, etc., but something was off. I couldn't figure out what, but I was "drifting" against my will. So I headed to the "shop." That is, I fasted for a day last week and asked God for a spiritual realignment. Well today I got the answer. I had lost focus of the end. I wasn't living expecting Christ to return at any moment. I asked for forgiveness and God quickly got me back on the road, going a little bit straighter than before.

So what is it for you? Are you heading straight, or do you need a spiritual alignment like I did? Ask God, I'm sure He will show you with time.

Can God really forgive ME?

Can God really forgive me?

"You don't know what I've done. I've done some things that you can't even imagine. I know He's real and that He does forgive some people, but not me; I've made some mistakes that I have to live with for the rest of my life. I regret it, but it's too late now."

Does that sound familiar?

Or how about this:

"I'm stuck in this sin. I just cannot stop. I really don't think God can forgive me again."

These are legitimate questions, and I think more of us have struggled with them at some point or another than we would like to admit. I know I have.

Whether God's forgiveness is a struggle that is keeping you from a relationship with Him, or you've had a relationship with Him and are worried He's just going to give up on you, don't worry; there is hope. Just stick with me for a second.

It's hard knowing that Jesus died for our sin. I feel guilty about it, I mean, it is my fault. I think the popular song has it right when it says, "it was our sin that held Him there." But here's the thing, He knew what He was doing. John 10:17-18 explains that He freely chose to lay down His life for us. He knew what He was getting Himself into and yet He did it anyway! That's how much He loves us. He let us kill Him. If He can forgive us for that, He can forgive us for anything.


So instead of doubting Him, thank Him.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.