This week, my devotions have been in the scroll of Ecclesiastes. It’s the third book in the Bible’s wisdom literature (along with Proverbs and Job), and it takes an honest—even cynical at times—look at life.
Throughout the book, the author wrestles with how short and unpredictable life can be. Despite all the good we try to do in the world, it can be frustrating when the change we hope for never comes—or at least not in the way we think it should.
It can leave us wondering, What’s the point?
But when you read Ecclesiastes alongside Proverbs and Job, a bigger picture begins to emerge. We can live according to God’s wisdom and give ourselves the greatest opportunity for a good life—but none of it is guaranteed. We have to be humble enough to recognize that God’s plan includes trials and hardships. Through it all, He is faithful, and in the end He will make all things right. Our responsibility is to choose how we respond to life’s tests and to continue trusting Him.
This week, a young manager at work asked me for advice about building a career while keeping family first. We talked about several things: work isn’t evil—it’s often the financial enabler that helps us care for our families; be transparent with your family about the demands of your job so they can support you; maximize your Roth 401(k) contributions and live below your means; don’t wait until retirement to start doing the things you dream about; and avoid the extremes of work-life balance. There will be seasons when work needs more from you and seasons when your family does. Don’t feel guilty about going the extra mile when either one genuinely needs you.
As I reflected on that conversation, I was reminded of a quote I memorized years ago by Chuck Swindoll. It captures one of the central lessons I take away from Ecclesiastes. We can’t control many of the circumstances of life, but we can control one thing—our attitude. And if we choose that well, we can experience contentment regardless of what life brings.
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.” – Chuck Swindoll
Bodacious Brays 