Walking Thru Ecclesiastes

Solomon’s practical counsel

Ecclesiastes 6:1 thru 8:17

 

“Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties.  After all, everyone dies — so the living should take this to heart.”- Ecclesiastes 7:2

 

            This verse seems like an odd thing to say, but before we judge it as absurd, let’s look closer at it. It appears that Solomon is not being purposefully morbid, but in reality, knows people avoid discussing death. They squirm just a little at funerals and definitely do NOT want to discuss their own arrangements for when they pass on. I believe Solomon is showing his readers, not that parties are bad, but that funerals provide life lessons. Your time spent at a funeral can be beneficial in the long run. 

Funerals are a part of life because everyone dies at one point or another in their life. It gives us an opportunity, generally unwanted at the time, to reflect on our own life. It reminds us that it is never too late to change the trajectory of our lives. As a believer in Christ, it gives us the opportunity to look in the proverbial mirror and see if we measure up to the standard God has set before us. For those who do not know God in a personal and intimate way, it reestablishes the biblical fact that as long as you have breath in your lungs you have time to realize your sinful state and seek forgiveness from God. It stands to reason that it would be far better to experience God’s mercy than his judgment.

Taking something to heart is seeing and treating something as important, even significant. A Christian funeral is generally speaking a cause for celebration. After a persons run of faith is over, they are passing over to their eternal reward … they are being promoted to glory. Those left behind will typically miss the individual, but know they will see him again, as long as they have made their peace with God. 

While it would be morbid to fixate on death all the time, we are not being asked to do that. We are being asked to use a funeral as a springboard to reflect of one’s own life. God’s real and so is sin. Whether one believes in the afterlife or not doesn’t change what will happen one day. Assess your own walk with God. Is it all it can be? Who’s not making the effort, you or God? Think about it. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries