Counsel for Right Living - Ecclesiastes 7:1-9; 9:7-10

by David Woods

Os Guinness in Prophetic Untimeliness writes:

The faith-world of John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, John Jay, William Wilberforce, Hannah More, Lord Shaftesbury, Catherine Booth, Hudson Taylor, D. L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, Oswald Chambers, Andrew Murray, Carl Henry, and John Stott is disappearing. In its place a new evangelicalism is arriving in which therapeutic self-concern overshadows knowing God, spirituality displaces theology, end-times escapism crowds out day-to-day discipleship, marketing triumphs over missioon, references to opinion polls outweigh reliance on biblical exposition, concerns for power and relevance are more obvious than concern for piety and faithfulness, talk of reinventing the church has replaced prayer for revival, and the characteristic evangelical passion for missionary enterprise is overpowered by the all-consuming drive to sustain the multiple business empires of the booming evangelical subculture. (p. 54)

At the risk of sounding heretical, I am going to suggest that it is possible to be a Christian and yet not experience an abundant life. Think about it!

Picture that person who has been a Christian for many years. He or she may even be entirely sanctified. This person has a good life. He may have great humor. But his life is not really productive. He tells lots of jokes, but rarely does his mouth share any story or teaching that is redemptive.

And then, there are those Christians who are swept from one wave of popular thought and culture to another. They are always seeking after a Christian "experience", but know little about being Christ-follower.

But we should also not forget those sour-puss Christians. They live rightly. They live soberly. But they live with a chip on the shoulder. One does not feel joy exuding from their pores. Instead, one is repulsed by the dead, legalistic state of their religious experience.

Solomon is teaching us in this scripture that:

Big Idea: Christ wants you to experience an abundant life.

Read Ecclesiastes 7:1-5

Maybe the idea that Christ wants you to experience an abundant life doesn't seem to fit with the verses we have just read, but I think they do. Let us consider what Solomon is teaching us.

Discussion: How can the day of one's death be better that one's birth date?
(The reality of death sobers our mind and causes us to re-evaluate how we are living. Note: see the three paragraphs under the heading "A Wise Perspective of Death Arranges Priorities of Life" in the "Doctrinal Discussion" portion of the lesson.)

Discussion: How can mirth, especially excessive mirth, be like an intoxicating drink?

Discussion: If indeed "sorrow is better than laughter", how might we plan or strategize to use times of discouragement/depression/despair more effectively as a spiritual teaching tool?
(We probably should learn to accept even bad times of life as a blessing from God. A regular journaling habit can help us record thoughts and lessons that will help us to understand how God is working in our lives in the present and - looking back - realize how God has been working in our lives in the past.)

How can you experience an abundant life in Christ? The first key shared in our text is that we should:

1. Live with reflection.

Read Ecclesiastes 7:6-9

Discussion: I find at least impediments to holy living in these verses. What are they?
(1. The laughter of a fool - living life without thought, 2. Oppression - becoming overcome by temptation, discouragement, etc., 3. A gift - being bribed into sin, 4. Proud in spirit - unwilling to heed the voice of the Holy Spirit, etc.)

Discussion: What is the world's attitude toward holy living?

Discussion: Can we expect our attempts to live above sin and without sin to be popular?

Discussion: What kind of mindset should we then have if we are to be victorious living a holy life?

I would suggest Solomon is teaching us that in order to experience the abundant life Christ promises us, we must:

2. Live with resistance.

Read Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

At first glance, it would appear that Solomon in these verses is contradicting himself in regards to what he wrote in chapter seven. Yet, I think these two passages are compatible.

Discussion: What was Solomon condemning in chapter seven?
(Living without thought - reflection.)

Discussion: Is the joy a Christian experiences as the result of salvation only a joy for salvation, or does it include more? What more does it include?
(I think Christian joy includes more than just the knowledge that one is saved. I think it includes the joy from being able to live Christianly, including but not limited to a loving relationship with one's spouse and children, feeling rewarded in with one's work in the workplace, and simply enjoying life.)

Discussion: Why can the Christian dare to live largely?
(Someone might be able to state the reason better, but I would suggest we can dare to live largely because we are saved.)

Discussion: Does the joy of an abundant life only include having "fun" in life? Why or why not?
(I would suggest the joy of abundant living includes working hard, "as unto the Lord", and so enjoying both the experience and fruit of productive labor, v. 10.)

I believe that Solomon is teaching us that to experience the abundant life Christ promises we must:

3. Live with relish.

Os Guinness, in Prophetic Untimeliness, writes, "Thinking and acting Christianly in the blizzard of modern information and change requires the courage of a prophet, the wisdom of a sage, and the character of a saint -- not to speak of the patience of Job and the longevity of Methuselah." (p. 56)

In other words, I think you could say that living an abundant Christian life is not the easiest thing to do in our world. But it is possible, for it God's will for us. Therefore, let us determine to live with reflection, resistance, and relish.