J Philip Bible Readings

The note struck in the final verses of the chapter is a characteristic one in Ecclesiastes. What is being said is that although power and wealth are illusory as goals of human life there is the possibility of enjoyment, even the imperative command from God that man should find a relative happiness and meaning in work, home and companionship. The good things of the world are God's gifts to be enjoyed by us with thankfulness and contentment. It is only when we make them the goals in life that we go wrong. The great secret is detachment: limited and relative satisfaction, never looking for this in what can never give it. We are not to expect too much of these things or even of life itself. This being so, ascetic renunciation as such does not figure in the Christian scheme of things. To be sure, there is a Christian asceticism, which is expressed in New Testament terms in taking up the cross and following Christ; but this is very different from the kind of attitude sometimes adopted almost instinctively, even unconsciously, about the Christian life which seems to suggest that the one thing that is forbidden is really to enjoy yourself and that if something enjoyable were to present itself the almost automatic reaction would be, 'It can't be God's will, it would be too pleasant'. But what a calumny this is on the living, loving, happy God of the Scriptures! We should pay far more heed than we sometimes do to Paul's teaching in, for example, 1 Timothy 4:4 'Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving' - this said in the context of an asceticism that Paul refused to countenance, and 1 Timothy 6:17, 'God giveth us richly all things to enjoy'. To live in this spirit, content with the good things that God is pleased to give us, not making the mistake of thinking they can ever meet our deepest needs - for that is possible only in God Himself - this is the real secret of life.