Solomon wrote, “God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad” (v.14). As we worship God in reverent fear and follow His wise instructions-made possible by His grace- real life and purpose is attained. “Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty” (12:13). In the epilogue of his book, the king pointed to a higher authority as the means to true meaning in life. But nothing satisfied him nothing brought purpose. The sage sought to find meaning in knowledge (v.17), pleasure (2:1), wine (v.3), and creating and possessing things (vv.4-8). He wrote, “It is all meaningless-like chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Solomon could relate to what Essena discovered-meaning found in anything other than God is a mirage. One reason? She wanted to be a better role model for her 14-year-old sister who had also been trying to find meaning and identity in projecting a perfect image. After building a popular persona on Instagram (700,000 followers) and YouTube (260,000 subscribers), she wrote: “I spent five years wishing I was this perfect person online and I spent three years every day working really hard at it.” She went on to say that at age 19 she realized her aspirations were misguided, stating, “I think the reality is quite sad.” So Essena left social media behind. In 2015, Essena O’Neill dropped out of social media. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty (v.13).
0 kommentar(er)
