Ecclesiastes

But for the believer, things should be different. Every Christian must have a biblical theology of work. Work is a gift from God, so we should honor him in our endeavors. When we honor God with our efforts, we bring glory to him. 

In this passage, Solomon proclaims what the rest of Scripture confirms: God is in complete control of all things. He is omnipotent; all-powerful. This means that whatever God desires to do, he will get it done. If he desires something straight, it will be straight and remain straight. If he wants something crooked, it will be crooked and remain crooked. Of course, God’s desires, decisions, and actions will always be perfect. 

The world is desperate to see Christians find meaning and satisfaction in their work. We don’t worship our jobs; we worship the One who provided us the gift to find purpose in our daily efforts. It’s hard to argue against Solomon’s point: “there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work.”

Some people do a job. They clock in and clock out. Their work is such that they can leave it all behind when they hop into their car to drive home. Most of these people spend their workdays dreaming of a hobby, an evening with friends, or planning a big tailgate party before the game. There is nothing wrong with doing a job if we do it unto the Lord and work hard to honor him with our work.

Solomon counted his hours, measured the family sacrifices, thought of all the sleepless nights worrying about an upcoming deadline, and concluded that it was all useless. There “was nothing to be gained under the sun.” Looking through humanistic eyes, he found that there was nothing to show at the end of the day for the physical and emotional toll caused by work.

What does a man gain by engaging in work? What benefits come from marketing, sales, owning a business, designing processes, and making products? Not much! That’s Solomon’s “under-the-sun” perspective. A generation works until they die, followed by the next generation that does the same thing.

Solomon experienced the energy and vigor of youth and wanted others to do the same. His counsel for young men was to enjoy life and pursue dreams and desires. But Solomon warns that enjoying life is not without boundaries and accountability. Everything a person does will one day be evaluated by the Judge (see also Eccl. 12:14).

While we live and work in time, God works outside of it. He is the eternal God who does all things perfectly. Nothing can be added or taken away to make what he has done better. Everything he does lasts forever. God’s construction cannot be destroyed.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.