Like working for the wind ...

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People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry. Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past. -Ecclesiastes 5:16-20 NLT

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Confucius, another wise man, once said: "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life". So often we see our work as a means to an end and we end up choosing a job for all the wrong reasons. When I look back on my life I can see that the jobs I took for financial reasons were the ones I loved the least. Sometimes we acquire and stay in jobs because of the salary - paying the mortgage on that big home can keep us trapped in jobs we hate.

What do you think Solomon means when he instructs us to accept our lot in life? I do not think that he is telling us to give in to some sort of fatalistic thinking. Neither do I think that he is saying that we should not have professional goals that we pursue in life. It seems that he is saying that we can only be happy today. Yet sadly we often spend so much time pursuing the happiness of tomorrow that we live lives that are anything but happy - in that we chase the wind.

Help us Lord to enjoy life right where we are and to be thankful for our blessings.

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