When
I was young, it seemed that everything was getting better. I graduated
from high school, went to Bible college and felt more independent and
grown up. I started making my own money and had some financial freedom.
I got married, bought a house, and had kids. Life was not perfect,
but it was moving in a good direction.
Lately, that has changed.
Now, things feel like they are going the other direction. My kids have
grown up, and the house is a little emptier. Friends I enjoyed hanging
out with have moved away. People I looked up to and respected have
passed on. My health, something I never gave a second thought to when I
was younger, takes up more of my attention these days. People I care
about are facing the prospect of selling their home and downsizing, or
moving to an assisted living facility. Instead of gaining, it feels
like life is going backwards.
One aid to navigate these
transitions is the Book of Ecclesiastes. In it, elderly King Solomon
looks back on his life and shares some recommendations that might help.
First, he suggests that we
must find the good in each day. “A person can do nothing better than to
eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see,
is from the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 2:24). It is easy to focus on
the negative, but every day has something in it to be grateful for.
Secondly, we need to hold
things lightly and learn to accept change. Acknowledging that you
cannot control everything is the first step to finding peace. “The
righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands”
(Ecclesiastes 9:1). Nothing is out of control. God is looking after
us, but we are mostly passengers, not drivers.
Lastly, the transitions ought
to prepare us for the life beyond this one. “He has made everything
beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart”
(Ecclesiastes 3:11). Since nothing here is permanent, we must live with
our eyes on our eternal home.
The only constant is change.
We need to deal with it well.
Comments