Four Keys to Greater Meaning in Life - Ecclesiastes 4

On casual reading, one may think that Ecclesiastes is about vanity and meaninglessness. Don't be fooled, it is actually telling you how to find the real meaning of life. This chapter 4 gives you four keys: 1 right the wrongs, 2 have work-life balance, 3 co-operate with others 4 get wisdom and live out your dream now; poverty cannot stop you.

The Ecclesiastes 4 mind-map:
Please go through the mind-map and try to answer the questions.
Here are the four keys to greater meaning in life.

1 Oppression - Righting the Wrongs gives meaning in life.
When there is unfairness and oppression, death seems better for oppressed. Unborn is even better. If we invert this argument, living is good when there is fairness and no oppression. Those living like us now should consider helping to make this world a place for fairness and justice.

2. Work Life Balance - Not due to Envy or Greed.
There is no meaning in working our lives away when our objective is trying to be better than others due to envy. There is on meaning also in just working hard to get more wealth due to our greed. Wealth alone does not satisfy the longing of the heart. Greed will just ask for more. It is important to live a balance life of work, rest and relationship building.

3. Co-operation is better - Do it.
Co-operation brings greater strength and is resilient to failure. Learn to co-operate with others and to get co-operation with others. Make sure the interests of others are taken care of.

4. Get Wisdom Young Men and Live out Your Dream. Poverty cannot stop you.
Wisdom and Youth are most powerful. Poverty cannot stop such a wise young man to become a powerful king. Even though one's contribution may be forgotten by latter generations, we work because it is right and not because we can get credits.

The teaching of Ancient Chinese Lao Zi's is a good companion to this wisdom from Solomon.
DaoDeJing 33

1. Knowing the character of others is wisdom. 知人者智，  Knowing oneself is enlightenment.  自知者明。
2. Mastering others is power and authority. 胜人者有力， Self-control is true strength.自胜者强。
3. Contentment is richness.知足者富， Striving forward is commitment and aspiration. 强行者有志。
4. Not losing oneself will last.不失其所者久， Died and yet one’s legacy continues is long life.死而不亡者寿。

See The Principles for Greatness: #1 Know Others & Sel...

Lim Liat (c) 13 Sep 2013

How to Know the Right Thing to Do at this Time? Ecclesiastes 3

There is a right time for everything. Everything in its time is beautiful. These are the famous sayings of Ecclesiastes 3. It is not just the timing, but the right thing to do at this time. Soloman list out 8 pairs of actions to guide your decision making. He further clarified that a work is not a curse not vanity when you know that God has a calling for everyone and enables them to walk meaningfully in this life. While there are unfairness in the world, God will one day judge them all and make things right. Soloman hinted to the coming of Jesus Christ when he asked, "Who can be sure where the spirit go after this life?".

The Keys of Ecclesiastes 3 is shown in the mind-map below:

1. Cycle of Life does not mean vanity but beauty. Everything is beautiful in its time. There is a right time for the right action. The endless cycles show the eternality or long life of God's creation.
2. It is not just the timing but the action also. Solomon listed 8 pairs or 16 action that one need to consider when deciding what to do at a particular time.  There is no one action for all time. Base on the time, the situation, the people involve, there is right thing to do. (see also: Business Strategies and Decision Making According to the Bible). If you like to have a 64 states and actions version, you can refer to I-Ching in One Minute.
1. To start or to end.
2. To sow or to harvest
3. To compete or to co-operate
4. To tear down or to re-build
5. To be sad or to to be happy
6. To accumulate or to give away
7. To be quiet or to speak up
8. To embrace or to separate.
3. A Standard to Follow. If there is a right thing to do at a right time, then there must be a standard of judging right or wrong. This is not situational ethics. Rather, it is the application of an absolute standard for various situations. If we don't consider the specifics of a situation and blindly apply the standard, then we commit the error of legalism. If everything is relative, then there is not standard of right and wrong. 
4. Work is not a curse. God created man and commanded him to manage the earth in Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over. Work occurred before the sin of man in Genesis 3.
5. We are God's masterpiece created in Christ Jesus for good work Eph 2:8. See also  You are a Masterpiece Created in Christ.
6. What about the unfairness in this World? God will one day judge the earth. The delay of judgment is for man to see that without God, he is no better and just like animals. 2Peter 3: 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
7. Hinting about the Coming of Jesus - The man from Heaven. "Who can be sure that  human spirit goes up to God  & the spirit of an animal goes down into  ground?" Ecc 3:21   The One from heaven will know. John 3:13 NIV No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man.

Lim Liat (c) 27 Aug 2013