Surprise!
We find that our Preacher is actually not very happy about his life or his work. He finally in Ecclesiastes 3:22 comes to the conclusion that we might as well enjoy work—not because it matters to God, but because, although we know God exists and is in charge, we have no idea whether God actually intends anything better for us than our current toil. There is a chance—more than a chance, in fact—that your work and your leadership really do matter to God—matter on that deep level where we all hunger to know that we are loved, known, and guided.
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Seasons Change
Your encouragement of me as a writer and thinker has been kind and generous. Thank you so much for our conversations, your gentle words of challenge, and your constancy in showing up each month to engage with the devotions I have written. I am grateful. As you’ve probably guessed, I want to tell you the time has come for me to move on. I feel a tender prompting in my soul to step away from Life for Leaders as a writer, and spend time as a reader of the words shared by other writers. The decision is mine, alone. For me, this season is complete. It has been a gift and honor to share this space with you.
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Gathering Stones
Leaders are not only called to press forward in building teams, seize opportunities to get ahead of market realities, and acquire resources for expansion. Leaders are equally called to slow down to rest. Leaders who pause and take time to commemorate God’s activity in their lives are less prone to forget about God and their dependence on him for lasting and impactful leadership.
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Throwing Away Stones
In Ecclesiastes 3:5, the Teacher says there is “a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them.” When a farmer needs to work the field to grow crops… the first thing that needs to happen is clearing out the debris from the soil. You can’t grow and harvest good crops without clearing out the rocks… As I read this section, a phrase sticks out to me: you’ve got to throw away the stones.
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Is All of Our Work Vanity?
Have you ever felt that your labor is in vain? Have you found yourself worrying that your work–whether paid on unpaid–is not amounting to much? Have you sometimes feared that you might be squandering your life? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, be assured that you’re not the first one to do so.
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