Meaningless Pleasures

     We all need pleasure in life.  Pleasures can keep us going when our world seems to be bleak, boring, wearisome, or anything else that is a negative for you.   However, there is a difference from enjoying pleasurable things and living your life for pleasure.  

    When something is holy and pleasurable there is no meaning in testing it.  Embrace it.  Enjoy it because it is a gift from God.  Laughter has no purpose other than to lift your mood.  It doesn't accomplish anything, but it can change your outlook on your entire day.  That means it holds more value than accomplishing something.  Your laughter can be a gift to other people by making their day better too.

    Folly fogs the mind from being able to grasp wisdom.  What is worthwhile in the world?  You need to know the answer before you can go out an conquer or just take the first step to a better world for you.  You can build things, watch plants grow, develop life changing things, control people's lives, be self-employed, wealthy, artistic, sexually fulfilled but it is all meaningless unless you take the time to figure out your purpose for God in this world.  If everything you do is for you, then you will never find real joy.  Sometimes things need to be for other people.  It always needs to be to glorify God.

    You don't have to deny yourself what you need to make a point.  Denying yourself can be as meaningless as taking everything you want.  You have to find what delights your heart and makes you feel closer to God to be able to find true meaning in life.  A fool will not remember what matters.  They will forget why they were working hard and even hate their own work to the point of stopping.  It takes wisdom and self-discipline to stay the course.  

    Wisdom and folly are the opposite sides of the same coin.  It can madden the mind as they battle against each other.  That is why wise people can do foolish things and foolish people can appear wise at times.  You need to understand that wisdom is harder, but better for you.  It does not change your fate, but it can change your perception.  You can accept that over time you will die and be forgotten, but that is okay because you will be with God.

    Life is hard.  It is so hard that it can be easy to hate life at times or feel meaningless.  That can quickly turn into despair and lead to folly.  You can work toward wisdom, gain knowledge, and develop skills, but without purpose it is all meaningless.  Work is painful and grief can cause a restlessness in your soul.  Eat, sleep, and work at your relationship with God to find satisfaction in your life.  This is how you will avoid calamity.  Wealth will never really give you what you want.

    Without God there is no joy.  He gives us the ability to be happy.  The lost will always have a since of meaninglessness.  They spend their entire lives chasing the wind.  That is why we need to find our purpose, get strong, and then do all we can to help them find God.

Ecclesiastes 2