ECCLESIASTES 7-9
7Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. 8Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. (9:7-10)
2 CORINTHIANS 11:1-15
12And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
To read these verses in Ecclesiastes is sobering. To think that I may not have tomorrow and my time on earth is ticking away somehow hits me like cold water in the face. Why do I think that I am guaranteed anything other than this moment. I am not, it can all end in a flash and have I really made the most of this moment? Have I really lived it fully, or have I spent it in regret over yesterday and in worry over tomorrow? Have I spent it comforting myself or protecting myself from the realities of life? If the answer is any of these then my moment was wasted.JOURNAL
Love is an action, love is doing something, not sitting around pondering. Love risks, love bleeds...love does not waste time protecting itself. Love gives and nurtures and is willing to risk rejection and heartache and embarrassment just to connect and give to someone else.
There also is a point in living in the moment that I am not to berate myself for failures. Failures are necessary for learning. I will fail every day...therefore I will learn everyday. Really also failures are relative. Give myself permission to enjoy the day...to have fun, to turn this day and work into something memorable, good, light and loving. That is trusting God...that where I am, the life I'm living is not a mistake but rather God's sovereign will.
14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
JAMES 2:14-17
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