![]() ![]() There are times when we need to do just that. ![]() I just wish I had done this or that differently.ĭoes this mean we have to always be doing something we perceive as meaningful or important and can't take time to chill out, veg, or do nothing at all. When, you finally kick back and sit on the porch you won't be thinking well…I coulda, I woulda or I shoulda. It's just that by planning and thinking about your day you will practice Regret Prevention. No, each day is meant to be enjoyed and lived to the fullest. And then what?"ĭoes this mean we become morbid in our thinking and dwell on its end rather than the fullness of it. We will never figure out how we should live our life unless we fully understand the significance of that fact that it will end. Ortberg says that the real meaning of life is that it stops. ![]() So, he looked back on all his accomplishments: building the temple acquiring great wealth having power and the admiration of others for all he had done. His big mistake was seeking things that would cause him to live a life apart from God. Solomon keeps using the phrase "this too is meaningless." Often he adds that it is like "chasing after the wind." Actually Solomon is offering us a "philosophy of life" in hopes that we don't make the same mistakes he made. He was able to see how he had blown it, and now it is with regrets that he writes of his folly. ![]() The NLT points out: "Solomon's action reminds us how easy it is to know what is right and yet not do it."Įcclesiastes was possibly written around 935 BC which would have been some 35 to 40 years after Solomon had become king, so there was a lot of water under the bridge since Old Solly had asked God for wisdom. But, this marriage provided inroads "for pagan ideas and practices" to enter the kingdom. This marriage would have been okay, because countries usually secured peace between them in this way. Early in his life Solomon had the sense to recognize his need for wisdom." But, Solomon went against God's will and his father David's instructions and made a pact with Egypt by marrying Pharaoh's daughter. As the NLT Bible says: "Wisdom is only effective when it is put into action. He had gotten away from God and way off track. But, unfortunately Solomon didn't always use that wisdom. You remember Solomon…the man who pleased God by asking for wisdom to rule his people. You look back on things and say, "if only." Gosh, where did the years go? Why didn't I spend more time doing this or that? The key is not to come to a point, late in life, where you have lots of regrets. And all of its moments can be remembered, can be celebrated or regretted, but can never be retrieved." Those important things don't come with do-overs, make-overs, or re-dos.Īs Ortberg points out "At the end of every day, one more box in the calendar has been shifted from the future column to the past column, from possibility to history. Life has to be lived going forward, you can't go backwards. As "little Ortberg" said the problem is that life doesn't have a rewind button. But let's consider it from the Regret Prevention point of view because each day that passes without having done something of significance is a day that can't be recovered. Maybe I'm doing this because I have so many things I want to accomplish…so many projects on the board…and have so little leisure time to spend with the Lovely Susette and well…time marches on. How each one is specially gift-wrapped by God for us to enjoy and make the most of.īut, I want to take a look at it from a little different perspective to even further emphasize how important it is to not throw away time. Is it just me, but does it seem these weeks go by faster all the time for you as well? I know…I've talked about this subject in a previous devotion or two, saying how precious each day is. I bring this concept up today because I think it is something we should all consider and revisit often. Time is our one indisputably non-renewable resource." He says, "Every day, every second, carries with it it's own finality. Ortberg shared the story to make a point. It was his son who made the great discovery in pre-kindergarten years. John Ortberg told the story in a chapter called "Prevent Regret" (When the Game is Over it all goes Back in the Box). "The trouble with life is that it doesn't have a rewind button," said the boy. What's the trouble with life?" the surprised Mom asked. The three year old who had a fascination with machines and gadgets had been playing with a tape recorder for about an hour when he looked up and said, "Mom, you know what the trouble with life is?" Labor are filled with pain and grief even at night they cannot rest. So what do people get for all their hard work? Their days of Monday Morning Devotion-September 1, 2008 ![]()
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