Pursuit of Happiness

Notes I wrote down as I listened to part 2 of Journal of a Desperate Journey by Chuck Swindoll. Here are  the notes from the message from his website: click here.

Ecc 1:12-17

Ecc 2:3-10

Ecc 2:17

Psalm 16:11

Searching for meaning and living the straight life can be exhausting.

The straight life:

Carrying out daily necessary tasks.
Living other people's goals instead of his own.

Deeply committed. Carrying out responsibilities.

Feel like everyone is taking from his life, not giving.

A world of tension and boredom until you wanna pull your hair out…

Solomon was king over Israel. If paraphrased, it'd add that Solomon was up to here with being king of this nation. Life is boring. Same thing is done. Meeting others expectations versus our own. Living out commitments. Feeling like everyone is asking and taking from us versus giving. It all makes it difficult to live the straight life!

Solomon, in his midlife crisis, didn't do anything silly. He wanted to put his brains and bucks to good use and find out what it is all about. How does one pursue happiness? Would it be profitable? What gives life meaning? Found in Solomon's journal- Ecclesiastes. In this book, we have God's promised truth about life and the pursuit of happiness under the sun. The book has a lot to say about life and living the straight life. God doesn't lie. He is honest. It is through this book we can learn a lot if we would diligently seek God's face and be obedient in listening to Him!

Chuck Swindoll emphasized "feeling the full blow of living a life under the sun without turning to the back of the book" before getting the full effects- the brokenness; not rushing or pushing it away; but realizing the depth of it all.  It is the life of many who live without Christ: facing the same thing day after day, experiencing the boring, and how meaningless life can be. The meaning is only found in Christ and the things above. This is why we are called: to seek the things of God, His Kingdom, and Heaven. "Seeking the things above, not earthly things!"

It is the life of people apart from God's perspective. It is realizing where they are; helping them to come to Christ. Entering into the brokenness that they, themselves, feel.

Ecc. 1:12-14

There is no greener grass. What we may think would be greener, when we get there- it's empty. There is no green grass. What we thought would be better than what we had was a disillusionment. All of it is empty;

1:15

He goes for it-to seek meaning.

1:16-17

He goes for his pursuit. It wasn't worth the effort. It was madness.

2:3

He sought alcohol to see the meaning of life. Solomon continued to seek pleasure as he pursued happiness.

2:4-10; 2:17

Nothing brought pleasure for Solomon. Nothing. Even his projects didn't bring pleasure.  His hobbies brought no pleasure. Nothing brought pleasure to Solomon in his life. Planning for something is always more exciting than the thing itself. Looking forward to it is always much more exciting than the actual event. Whether it is going to a restaurant, vacation, or something else, looking forward to it is always much more exciting. Our hope for it is always much more than the actuality.

The satisfaction is only during the act: that goes for the collection, the vacation, the booze, extramarital affairs (remember he had 700 wives; he knew pleasure! yet nothing brought happiness and satisfaction.). Solomon withholded nothing from himself. (2:10) He didn't stop at pleasure. He hated life. (2:17) Think of life of the celebrity. Pays someone else to do things for them. No friends by their side. They still have to sleep at night, and there isn't enough medication to fix the up's and down's they endure. The stories of many can be multiplied. Their sorrows are many.

What profit is there in the whole cycle? (3:9)

None.

Outside of Christ, we will never find pleasure.

What are we looking for pleasure in?

Are we still seeking the world? Or, are we seeking Christ?

Psalm 16:11 states:

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

We will never find the pleasures that bring happiness if we don't start looking in the right place. Are we choosing to allow Christ to be our pleasure? Or, are we still trying to find that pleasure in other things? Only God can fill us up, and give us joy!

"Happiness is a by-product of walking with God. It is not our focus." Holiness should be our focus. Seeking Christ. Seeking His holiness. Seeking to walk in His ways and seek Him with all that we are.

What are we searching for?

My notes from Chuck Swindoll's message: Journal of a Desperate Journey, Part 1

Ecc 1:1-11

Ecc 6:10-12

Ecc12:13-14

On Ecclesiastes: Ecclesiastes is where we find Solomon on a journey for satisfaction. We read his findings. Solomon learned that nothing under the sun is worthwhile, everything is futile.

Ecc 1:1-11- No matter how much we see or hear, we are never satisfied. We are never content. Ecc. 6:10-12- God has already planned who we are. God knows who we are, and our destiny- He knows it all. Who are we to contend with God? He is greater and mightier! (See Isaiah 40) Ecc 12:13-14- Fear God and obey His commands. God will judge us justly.

What dreams do you have that you haven't lived out?

What do you think about when no one else is around?

Ecclesiastes is the journal of Solomon's journey to find happiness and purpose when everything else seemed boring and empty. He longed for that fulfillment. Deep within us is an irresponsible itch where we want to forsake our responsibilities, flee everything, and pursue dreams. If only, we would see the other side and the meaninglessness of those dreams. Solomon had all the money and brains to pull it off. But, what would he find?

Dreams send Solomon to find something.

What does he find? "Nothingness, nothingness…" is what his pursuits fostered.

He wasn't given the satisfaction he hoped for.

What's it all about? It's empty… It's futile.

Until we are there at the end (Ecc 12:13-14), we feel the emptiness.

"One of the reasons we are so boring as people, as Christians, because we read our immortality message into every scene that's also the reason we don't have too many real answers to our real problems. We're too quick with the ultimate answers to fill ourselves with the horrific pain." Before mentioning following God or obeying God, he throws his hands in the air! Nothing brings satisfaction.

Brokenness comes before finding what we need!

We have to see this book using the natural, human mind. If we don't, we will throw this book out of the window. It is about seeing things from the human mindset. Under the sun. Seeking satisfaction from things under the sun. It is the brokenness that comes from realizing that nothing under the sun could ever satisfy. The brokenness that leads us to none other than Jesus Christ!

The more we read Ecclesiastes, the less shocked we are with the world. The brokeness of this world. Others giving up. Others committing suicide.  We will enter that understanding of what others face. Remember: The purposelessness of this world, of life. The futility. The meaningless. It is only found through Jesus Christ. Without Christ, we have nothing. He has a purpose for us. He has a great love for us! Let us remember what we experienced without Christ, enter into the brokenness, have compassion for others, and share the love of Christ!

Now why: Why is it so meaningless? (1:4)

It's a boring place to be; it's the pits. The eye is never satisfied with seeing; the ear is never satisfied with hearing. There's always something else. The appetite is never filled. Even with money, there is nothing satisfying. Nothing will ever satisfy!

"Can you imagine launching a child under the sun? Nothing new. Nothing of meaning."

Are we ready to move beyond the sun? Allowing Jesus Christ into our lives. Him and His holy is what our souls are longing for. It is only as we move past the brokenness and realizing our need for Him that we finally see what we have needed all along. His holiness is serious. He is holy. He is supreme, above all others. He is God, creator of Heaven and Earth! He came to give us abundant life, life far beyond what we can experience in this world!

Is what we are seeking meaningful?
Is it soul satisfying?
Is it leading us closer to Christ? Or, drawing us away from Him?
Are we seeking after the eternal or things that will not last?

*Seek Christ*. Only He can satisfy! Nothing in this world can ever satisfy except Christ and Him alone.

Are we digging into the Word of God? Spending time reading the Bible? In prayer?

Holiness,Holiness, is what I long for!