The past couple of weeks in youth group we have been going through the book of Ecclesiastes. Tonight we were going through chapter 4 and Nick encouraged us to memorize the sixth verse:
“Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil
and a striving after wind.”
and a striving after wind.”
Now this verse is more of a challenge than anything else. It is a challenge towards simple living; a challenge towards not pursuing vain materialistic wants that will lead us nowhere; a challenge towards looking past our want to serve others. I have found it that when we force ourselves to step out of our comfort zones and do something for another person completely out of their interest and not our own that we tend to grow the most, spiritually and emotionally. It takes a person far greater than I to live a completely selfless life, but they are always the ones that are happiest. The person that completely takes this verse to heart may have the least material belongings, but they have the most joy and peace in their life. Everyone has these people in their lives, the pure, honest, nothing but loving soul, who would do anything for you at the beat of a heart. It seems frustrating to me that anyone could be so perfect, but honestly they aren’t perfect either, and ironically they would be the first to admit that. This reminds me of a story I once heard of how natives used to catch monkeys. They would take a container of some sort with a small opening and put a small fruit or shiny stone in the opening then connect it to a tree. The monkey would see the treasure and try to get it. They easily slip in their hand grasp the item then try to pull it out, their fist stuck. Being the stubborn creature that they are, they won’t let go, then get captured themselves. If the monkey would only let go, it would get away, but instead it vainly will hold on to its materialistic item and get captured because of it. So would you rather vainly toil towards something that will eventually pass away and mean nothing, or enjoy life for what you have already been blessed with?
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