EquippedMama

How are you doing?

This is one of the most predictable of questions when meeting up with a friend. What is inevitable reply?

Busy.

We all seem to be busy. We are busy with fitness, church activities, work, sports and relationships. We are so busy for many the required stay at home mandates caused by COVID-19 caused a real shock. Business is a great insulator for purposelessness, loneliness, and hopelessness. These are all serious temptations for Mamas to fall into. When stripped of the numbing influence of constant activity, these root problems surface. What’s a Mama to do?

One of the true gifts of the Word of God is that it addresses all of life’s big questions. Living life purposefully rather than in wild busyness is a concept explored in great detail in the book of Ecclesiastes. Many scholars point to the author of this book being Solomon, the son of the great King David, and one blessed with Divinely granted wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:11-12). This man had it made. King. Fabulously wealthy (2 Chronicles 9:13-28). Successful (1 Kings 7-9). Respected (1 Kings 10:7). Multiple times the Lord revealed himself to Solomon (1 Kings 11:9). Solomon of all people shouldn’t have struggled with finding meaning in life. Yet, if we assume that Solomon was the writer, then we also see that he struggled with chasing his own passions- a pitfall that caused him to walk away from close fellowship with the Lord (1 Kings 11:1-8). Perhaps it was during this time of distancing from God that Solomon conducted this exploration of fulfillment and living life meaningfully.

What did the writer of Ecclesiastes seek to fill the void of his meaninglessness? Many of the same substances we select. Accomplishment. Wisdom. Pleasure. Materialism. In each trying of self-indulgence, the writer was met with futility- or as some translations write, vanity.

The final conclusion of Solomon’s treatise on a purpose-filled life is found in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. He writes,

Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: Fear God and keep his commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. For God will evaluate every deed, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

How much business would be irradiated from our lives if we aligned our day planner to this simple conclusion?

Fear God.

Implications for this simple statement are many- a topic we will scarcely skim the surface of in the next few posts.

How much of the busyness of our lives is contrived out of a lack of fearing the Lord? How often do we feverishly work to accomplish tasks without ever thinking of the Lord? How often do we seek His will on our daily tasks?

How simplified could our mothering be if we began with this necessary premise? Fear God. This is the prerequisite to meaningful mothering.

Note: Background information for Ecclesiastes found in John MacAurthur’s introduction to Ecclesiastes. This information was gathered here.