You Ain’t In Control

I just finished Table in the Mist  by Jeffrey Meyers, a commentary on Ecclesiastes, a couple weeks ago. I loved it. I mean really loved it. It helped that a bunch of people I know had either just read it or were reading it and also loving it, but even without that, I think it would’ve made a similarly positive impression.

10 people can read a book and like it – all for different reasons. At this point in my life some of the points in the book impressed me more than others.

The #1 point that I took away from the book is that I am not in control. God is. I can’t play my cards right and force Him to bless me. I can’t do everything right, control all aspects of my life, or my kids lives, to somehow leverage the way God works and make everything turn out as I would like. And that’s OK, because God “has made everything beautiful in its time.”   This, frankly is a relief. Not that I actually thought that I could control God, but the burden of thinking that everything depends on us and our desires and actions, is a major tenent of our modern world (The Power of Positive Thinking, anyone?). Knowing that God’s plan is unshakeable and ultimately just and good (whether we live to see its benefits or not), notwithstanding our poor, muddled, sinful human ways, allows us to relax. Because the world is unpredictable, and uncontrollable (by us), men are able to “be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil – this is God’s gift to man.” (Ecclesiastes 3:12) If you thought it all depended on you, how could you ever take a moment and just enjoy the ride?

“Every time out lack of control over life is brought to our attention we tend to treat it as some sort of anomaly, but the fact is that all of life is like that.” (p. 79)

In the discussion of sacrifices and vows in Ecclesiastes 5, Mr. Meyers makes a point particularly salient for me and my friends. He’s talking of foolish verbal sacrifices that we offer to God, under the category of “look-at-how-pious-I-am radical resolutions.”

“..I have been dismayed by this kind of talk particularly among young parents who are eager to set themselves apart as more holy than those parents who have older children. The verbal offering of look-at-how-pious-I-am radical resolutions comes too easily to their lips. Beware of the words never and always:

“I’ll never send my children to day care.”

“I’ll never put my children in a public school.”

“Well, I will never allow my teenagers to do such and such.”

“I’ll always homeschool my children. “” (p. 114)

*blush* Ahem. Well, hopefully I haven’t said such things too often, but surely I’ve thought them before and the arrogance implied is stunning.

And on money:

¹⁰ He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver;
      Nor he who loves abundance, with increase.
      This also is vanity.
       ¹¹ When goods increase,
      They increase who eat them;
      So what profit have the owners
      Except to see them with their eyes?
Ecclesiastes 5: 10-11

“Do you really want more wealth, more “goods” more land and cars and houses and everything else? Really? Do you realize that when wealth increases responsibilities increase as well? Do you think you can have one without the other? It is a foolish dream.”  (p 121) That nice furniture, that lovely hardwood floor, beautiful deck furniture, nice car – all have to be protected, maintained, cared for. And because they’re more valuable, they have to be protected, maintained, and cared for MORE than my used furniture and torn linoleum. This is a point I need to remember often.

There were a ton of other good points in the book – there’s a lot of meat in Ecclesiastes. I can’t quote them all, and don’t remember them all, and glancing through the book as I prepared this post made me realize – I need to read it again! So, check it out, buy it, or borrow it:  this book will change how you view your life!