Seeking Happiness And Fulfillment
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles
So, who doesn’t want to be happy? Some people spend their whole lives searching for and never finding real happiness or personal fulfillment. Others make happiness come to them. They find happiness in a variety of ways. Not one of us can claim to be happy all the time. Life isn’t that simple. In fact, it’s frustrating at times! Bad things do happen to good people. Perhaps this describes you.
However when we look at life, there will be the best of times and the worst of times. We’ve all been there.
I seldom read Ecclesiastes. I find it somewhat depressing. Solomon, the writer, son of the great King David, seemed to reflect on how happiness was an illusion. Could one really find happiness, security, peace in this world?
He was given great wisdom by God and yet he didn’t find real happiness. Isn’t that part of being wise? If Solomon had trouble with happiness where does that leave us? What is happiness anyway?
He sought this illusive feeling in philosophy, pleasure, mirth, drinking, building an empire, possessions, wealth, music and women. The pity is, that he found it all empty and meaningless. He tried it all, had it all, experienced it all …. and was profoundly unhappy.; the very thing he sought escaped him.
The name Ecclesiastes means preacher. He writes his own story. This is so named because his writings include meditations and sermons of this wisest of men. His great question is, “Is life worth living?” (Ecclesiastes 2:22-23).
He has a turning point in his life however. Something so simple that he actually failed to recognize that true happiness comes from only one source. He writes in Ecclesiastes 8:12 —“yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God.” The full meaning of this verse is found in the last chapter — “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
When was the last time you read this book? If you are like me I skip this one for a variety of reasons. However, Solomon lays it all out for us. I would even call him a realist’s realist. He writes with great candor about frustrations, fulfillment, work, sex, injustice, friendship, worship, happiness, insecurity, temptations, etc. — all of my concerns and probably yours as well.
For the next few postings, let’s read and study together this book written by a great man of God. No question that he has his problems …. but he can teach us great lessons along the way.
Are we ready to learn?
—Barbara Hyland, guest writer