Recently I came across a statement made by Martin Luther King Jr. I realized that without his knowlege of being in the will of God, his efforts to further the good of the civil rights movement would not have been left to his memory. There was another man who set out to prove this point as well. His name was Solomon. I wanted to take a further look at the futile efforts we take in trying to achieve goals on our own. Without God, it simply is all in vain.
"I still believe that standing up for the turth of God is the greatest thing in the world. This is the end (purpose) of life. The end of life is not to be happy. The end of life is not to achieve pleasure and avoid pain. The end of life is to do the will of God, come what may." Marttin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. certainly lived up to those words. He did not avoid pain to gain pleasure. He endured persecution, personal threats and was abused and also arrested 20 times. But through it all, he was the youngest man to receive the Noble Peace Prize. The money he won was donated to further the good of the civil rights movement. He was famous for his "I have a dream" speach that he delivered at a peaceful march in Washington, DC. But his dream was cut off in 1968 when he was fataly shot to death on a balcony in Memphis, Tennessee. It was here that he was leading a protest march in sympathy with the striking garbage workers. He was a man who operated in the will of God and as a result his life left a legacy for all to remember. So his dream still lives on!
King Solomon, near the end of his life, had decided to go on a pilrimage to discover what life was really all about. He had been highly favored by God and lacked for nothing. God gave him wisdom such as no one before or after him has ever seen. Solomon put his human wisdom to the test and in the end, after searching "everything under the sun" came to the conclusion that without God in one's life, it has no meaning. Life is all in vain. For many people today, they are searching for the true meaning of life as well. Odds are they are trying to find it in money, material gains, fame, power, and self gratification. If you know of anyone like this who is truly without lack for anything, please let me know. Money doesn't mean happiness, material objects doesn't mean contentment, fame doesn't mean peace, power does not mean joy and self gratification certainly doesn't mean salvation. The outward things are no indication of the inward man.
With this thought in mind, Solomon tried very hard to find a purpose to a man's life without God in it. As he put it; "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." (Ecc. 1:1) Right off the bat, Solomon begins the book of Ecclesiastes with this observation. He is saying that life without God is in vain, all our endeavors on earth are utterly futile.
He realizes that a man's advantage to gain from his labor is useless. Life is fleeting and whatever a man accomplishes in his life is only a small portion. The only lasting efforts are the ones used to accomplish God's purposes for eternity. He compares man's impermanence with the earth's permanence. The repetitious cycle of a man's life doesn't give him security or meaning. But God's creation continues generation after generation, long after men are dead. All their lives it is wearisome work and in the end, nothing is ever new and nothing will ever be remembered. We are as dust in the wind.
"A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; and hastening to its place it rises there again." Ecclesiastes 1:4,5
He says that no matter what anyone does, the sun will rise and set each day, the winds have their set courses to blow, the rivers flow into the sea and it will repeat this cycle over and over. God has ordained it so.
"That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9
Solomon also writes about the futility of human wisdom. He is writing in terms of practical wisdom as opposed to philosophical wisdom. This is more than head knowledge. Real wisdom is having common sense and wit, proper behavior, and success. He says it's difficult to understand it, yet it is God given. (Ecc. 1:13)
"I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted. And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind." Ecclesiastes 1:15,17
He observes that life is futile because it's fleeting. It's like the wind, whatever we desire in this life can not be held in our hands. And even though a person can be wise, no amount of human effort can resolve matters. Some things will always remain crooked no matter how hard we try to straighten them out.
"Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increased knowledge results in increasing pain." Ecclesiastes 1:18
After all is said and done, Solomon declares that there are no guarantees in life. If you asked anyone if they thought wisdom brings success, their answer would be a resounding "yes". This success would bring happiness as well. But this isn't the case. With realizing this truth, Solomon concludes that it brings grief to anyone who puts their happiness in the hope of their human achievements alone.
It is clear that Martin Luther King Jr. learned this valuable lesson early in his life. He knew that a man's purpose on this earth was not just in finding happiness while running from the pain. He knew pain and yet he pressed forward in God's will. His dream was to do that will by setting the captives free from segregation. God does not look at the color of a man's skin. We are all the same in His eyes. We were, after all made in His image. That image is cloaked in LOVE! It was Mr. King's passion to see people of all color, races, and generations be treated with respect. Even though Mr. King experienced cruel treatment during his life, he still emerged as a Negro leader in the first rank. He not only became a symbolic leader to American blacks, but a world figure as well. Since his dream was in the will of God, it became his legacy.
If you (or someone you know) is trying to find happiness without success, search your heart and ask the One Who truly knows your needs. If He has not yet been invited into your life, then ask Him today. Ask God to forgive all your past, present, and future sins. Tell Him you are a sinner in need of a Savior. If you truly believe that Christ died so that you may live, confess it with your mouth and tell God you are sorry. If you have done this and believe it with all your heart, Christ will come into your life through the power of the Holy Spirit. You are now born again into eternal life! Now your life has true meaning! May your journey continue through Bible reading, study, fellowship, hearing the Word and praying in the will of God. May your dreams become your legacy as well. With God ALL things are possible!
There is no dream too big or too small when God is in it.
Vivian Gordon writes articles pertaining to God's instructions and the examples He has given us in order to grow on this Christian walk with Him. She hopes that they can inspire the Christian to grow spiritually and maturely in their lives.
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