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At last I have seen what is good and beautiful: It is to eat and drink and to enjoy the good in all our hard work under the sun during the brief lives God gives us... It is a gift from God when God gives some people wealth and possessions...
These people won’t give much thought to their brief lives because God keeps them occupied with the joy in their hearts. (Eccl 5:18-20 GW) [context– Eccl 5:1-20]
Language is not always precise
Words are like containers for concepts, feelings, or ideas. The context of spoken and written words provides keys to understanding these words.
Even the immediate context of the words can be misunderstood or misconstrued. This is why humor or satire aren’t discerned by those who only see literal meanings to words.
This was often the case when Jesus was with His followers and others who heard Him. Words can have more than one meaning, especially in varying contexts.
Jesus spoke of “living water” to the Samaritan woman at the well and of Himself being “the Bread of Life” to those who were among the 5,000 whom He fed (John 4:4:10; 6:35).
Even when language is precise, it is not always understood.
Our personal biases, our moods, and sentiments, along with our basic view of life can also hinder our understanding of words. As so often noted, the optimist sees a cup half full and a pessimist sees it half empty.
Countless people who’ve traveled from a developed nation to a developing or underdeveloped nation will say when they return home, “I didn’t realize how good I have it in life!”
Seeing the plight of others in desperate or difficult circumstances ought to help us realize “how good” we have it. But how much better it would be for all of us to realize what is good in our lives without comparing it to the lives of others.
Life is not a competition, it’s a gift.
Reading through Ecclesiastes, it’s easy to get pulled along with Solomon’s view of “life under the sun is pointless” and be discouraged by it.
Yet here, Solomon shares simple insights and ways to not be sucked into a cynical or depressing view of life. In the three verses at the end of Chapter 5, Solomon shares three encouraging observations.
Insights
How we view life in general, especially our own life can determine how we live our lives and cope with the challenges and routines of everyday life.
A common role for counselors and pastors is to help people reframe their thoughts and actions towards a more healthy outlook and better outcomes.
This is what I see Solomon doing in these three verses. He reframes what may seem “pointless" and shows us a different way to see our life and the meaningful purpose for it.
In regards to the hard work a person endures within their brief life—it “is good and beautiful.” This may seem contradictory to Solomon’s previous observations but he draws this conclusion after processing all he’s seen under the sun.
How can hard work in a brief life be “good and beautiful”?
This is the glass-half-full view of life. Solomon is saying we are to enjoy whatever moments we can with whoever is in our life. This is similar to previous observations he made after speaking of life as pointless (Eccl 2:24; 3:12-13, 22).
Solomon also says it’s “…our lot in life.” But other Bible versions have a different take. The NKJV says it’s “…our heritage” and the NET says, “this is their reward” (Eccl 5:18 NKJV; Eccl 5:18 NET).
Solomon is speaking of the silver lining in the clouds, like enjoying a beautiful sunset at the end of the day. He’s not saying, this is what you’re stuck with.
For those who have riches and wealth, are able to enjoy them, and accept and appreciate their role in life, it’s a gift from God. This realization is counter to what Solomon said in the verses preceding this observation. But he sees that when a person can be content and thankful, riches and wealth aren’t a problem but a blessing from God.
Solomon’s third observation sums up the first and second ones.
People who find contentment in their lives regardless of their circumstances don’t worry and fret but are filled with joy in their hearts.
Existential Reflections
Being content and thankful while enjoying simple pleasures in life is a way to reframe our lives towards a positive outlook. Contentment and thankfulness are not emotions like happiness. They are grounded deeper in the attitude of our heart and in a healthy mindset.
Happiness is not the same as joy. Happiness is an emotion that’s often dependent on circumstances or situations. Joy comes from a deeper place in us. It is more spiritual than emotional (John 16:22; Gal 5:22).
One of my favorite movies, Life is Beautiful, illustrates the power of reframing. The story begins in the Tuscany region of Italy preceding WWII. It’s both a comedy and drama following the life of a Jewish bookstore owner and his family.
After they are put in a concentration camp, the father uses his imagination to reframe the family’s dire circumstances as a game of intrigue. The evil of the camp and the war are reframed so that Life is Beautiful.
But how can we reframe our lives to see what is “good and beautiful”?
It’s the little things in life—special moments and simple blessings and pleasures—that can help us reframe our lives in a positive way so we learn to be content and thankful.
Here are a few ways I do this in my life—
Daily prayer that begins with giving thanks
Devotions with my wife in the early morning
Keeping in touch and enjoying time with our children and grandkids
A walk at sunset (or sunrise)
Walking or riding a bike on the beach
Simple conversations over coffee or a meal with friends
That’s my shortlist to help me reframe my life to see the beauty and blessings God gives me. Hopefully, this gives you an idea of how to reframe your life to see what is “good and beautiful.”
Why not take some time to make your own life-reframing list?
What and who are you thankful for?
What are the simple pleasures you enjoy?
How can you begin and end each day to reframe your life in a positive way?
If you focus and dwell on what is dark, discouraging, or disturbing in your life and the world around you, your life will be like the cup-half-empty.
But when you reframe each day in your life with what’s good and beautiful and acknowledge God’s gifts in your life— then your heart will be filled with joy!
This is an excerpt from my newest book available on Amazon! Glimmers of Light in the Darkness of Life
The Scripture text for this devotional study can be found by clicking the blue button link– “Ecclesiastes Chap 5” [I’ve used God’s Word Translation (GW) for ease of reading but the button link will take you to the text in a parallel version with the NKJV text.]
Also, for further commentary, I recommend Enduring Word by Ptr David Guzik.