What 
drives you? What, when you really think about it, keeps you up at night?
On Wednesday nights, I lead a Bible study and right now we are working through the book of Ecclesiastes. It has been said that this book is the least read (and even less understood) book in the Bible. If you have read any of the book, you know that it is not the stuff of greeting card sentiment. It is a dark and seemingly pessimistic book. In fact, most weeks I remind the attendees of the study that we should not go home, curl up in the fetal position and refuse to get out of bed.
What runs through the book like a bungee strap holding it together is the idea that everything “under the sun” is meaningless.
Everything under the sun . . .
In other words, if our only concern is what happens in the here and now, then we will come to the same conclusion as the writer of Ecclesiastes – it is all meaningless, “a chasing after the wind.”
In chapter 4, the writer makes a strong statement. He says, “all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another.” That statement should give you pause and cause some serious reflection.
So back to the original question for the day – what drives you? I have to admit that I am not immune to being driven by envy. I see the “success” of others and say, “I could do that.” But when we allow our motivation to be envy and competition, we will come to the same realization – it all leads no where and amounts to nothing.
But, when our motivation is beyond the sun – when our drive comes from a desire to live for Christ and honor God – then our efforts do lead somewhere and our lives will count for something.
So what drives you? What is the source of your motivation for today?
Live this day for God.
You won’t regret it!
Wednesday is trash pick up day in our neighborhood. So this morning, before leaving for the office, I pulled our trash bin to the curb. Now, last night the prediction was that we would get rain overnight and into today. When I opened the garage door to go to the side gate to get our trash bin, I noticed it had not rained enough to even get the driveway wet.
I have to ask myself, “Do I seek God before all else?” Am I desperately seeking a relationship with Jesus? The Psalmist paints a vivid picture in chapter 42. He says in verses 1 and 2, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”
sin. I have to confess – his name is not Brian! Jesus experienced all things just as we do, and yet without sin – without dis-obeying the Father – without messing up (Hebrews 4:15).
This morning I am spending time in prayer and reflection, and my attention is drawn to the window. I gaze out of my office window at this view. I see the wind blowing out of the north on this chilly February morning – well of course I don’t see the wind but I see the white caps created by it.
This coming Sunday we will be discussing the importance of sharing. I remember as a child, I was taught to share. The lessons weren’t always pleasant because there is something inherent in us to want to keep things for ourselves. I would like to think that as we grow up, we get better at sharing. But sadly, I think that we just get better at masking our selfishness. It is a constant battle to put other people’s interests above our own. But that is what we are called to do as believers.
Our world would tell us that there are many different ways to God. Depending on what you want out of life and the experiences you may seek, the path you choose will wind around but eventually they all end up at the same place. I don’t find that idea in scripture at all. In fact, the truth about the path to God is very directional. If I leave the city going south, I will never end up in San Antonio. If I head north west toward San Antonio, I will never get to the Rio Grande. The same is true of finding our way to God.
enough to run as it was)? Do I slow down as I get to him and try to befriend him? Do I run past and ignore him in hopes that he wouldn’t notice the huffing and puffing of what must sound like a water buffalo with asthma?
Clay in the Hands 