Divine Discontentment
- Bailee Chavez
- Jul 2, 2023
- 4 min read
Howdy and happy Sunday! Thanks for coming to the blog today.
This week I found myself in Ecclesiastes, which is more or less one of the more downcast books of the Bible.
"Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity."
Ecclesiastes 2:18-26
To me, the book of Ecclesiastes screams that we were made for more.
I used the Enduring Word commentary on Ecclesiastes 2, and here is what stood out to me from their notes:
“Incidentally, this bitter reaction is a witness to our ability to stand clear of our condition and to weigh it up. To be outraged at what is universal and unavoidable suggests something of a divine discontentment, and hint of what the great saying in Ecclesiastes 3:11 will call ‘eternity’ in man’s mind.”
Few people live for true, eternal meaning in their life; so they live with under the sun rules. They try to work hard, to enjoy life, to have fun, to be nice, to not get caught doing wrong, and they try not to hurt anybody. This thinking may work in making a bad situation better; but it gives no true meaning to life in light of eternity.
Lately, I’ve been finding myself in a wrestle of sorts. And that struggle looks like knowing my salvation is secure in Jesus but seeking to understand what this looks like in my everyday life.
I remember in high school sometimes being frustrated with my faith because of the vague messages I was hearing. My heart was heavy because I didn’t know what the Word meant for me and my situation in particular.
People would preach things like “do not worry” and “guard your heart” without ways to practically apply this in my own life. Or- if examples were given- they only spoke to sins and temptations that were patently wrong- underage drinking, smoking, partying, etc. while never addressing the more “glamorous” sins.
It's not that these messages were untrue or bad. They were simply the ABCs of Christianity.
And when you face deeper questions, you’ll find that these basics are inadequate if you stop there. When you try to determine what is good and bad & better and best in your daily life, it feels like learning the alphabet and then trying to go directly into solving a trigonometry problem.
I’ve always had a mind that is more inclined to the black and white of life. Growing up, I’ve had a lasting longing to identify the good & bad, to know them, to figure them out, and to live accordingly.
But sometimes life isn’t always black and white. Some things are more nuanced, and the “right” decision is dependent on the circumstance at hand. Wisdom and discernment are needed to make the most God-honoring decision.
And I know that wisdom comes after seeking the Lord, waiting, listening, and obeying.
I was talking to a mentor this week, and she told me that she was glad that all these things mattered to me and that it was actually gift of the Spirit- for no man comes to Him unless the Father draws Him.
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
John 6:44 (NIV)
In this season of my life, I'm inviting curiosity and viewing the questions on my heart as an invitation from God into something that transcends what meets the eye. What a cool thing it is to be summoned by the Spirit.
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Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12–13 (NIV)
“To “work out” does not even mean to “work at” being saved. Salvation is God’s work from beginning to end. It is not something we do for ourselves or perfect once we have it. Instead, we cooperate with God, who is at work bringing the reality of a salvation that is already ours into daily experience. This is why Scripture speaks of it in past, present, and future tenses (Titus 3:4–7; 1 Cor. 1:18; Rom. 5:9–10).”
“You could say, in a sense, that we are called to work out the “math” of our salvation. In other words, God has already done the staggering work of salvation in us. He has saved us, forgiven us, rescued us, put his Holy Spirit in us, and united us to Jesus. That glorious work has already been done. But that doesn’t mean that we simply sit back and do nothing. We work to do the good deeds God has called us to do, knowing that he is giving us both the motivation and the power to do them. Rather, we cooperate with God, working with him as he works in us. We press down on the gas pedal of righteousness as God propels us forward.”
If you’ve accepted Christ as your personal savior, you’re likely in the same boat as me. Welcome to the work!
This was a shorter blog, and I definitely have more thoughts & questions to process with the Lord. Jeremiah 29:13 tells us that we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart. More updates to come as He leads me into a deeper knowing. Nevertheless, thanks for reading ❤️
- Bailee Chavez
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