CHASING AFTER THE WIND.

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Ecclesiastes 4:4-8

Ecclesiastes 4:4 I have also learned why people work so hard to succeed: it is because they envy the things their neighbors have. But it is useless. It is like chasing the wind.
Ecclesiastes 4:5 They say that we would be fools to fold our hands and let ourselves starve to death.
Ecclesiastes 4:6 Maybe so, but it is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind.
Ecclesiastes 4:7 I have noticed something else in life that is useless.
Ecclesiastes 4:8 Here is someone who lives alone. He has no son, no brother, yet he is always working, never satisfied with the wealth he has. For whom is he working so hard and denying himself any pleasure? This is useless, too—and a miserable way to live.

The author king of Israel, king Solomon had seen it all about life and he believed that certain things in life leads to emptiness which he termed “VANITY UPON VANITY ALL IS VANITY.
In his research about life’s satisfaction which he conducted like carrying a scientific experiment, he found out that life without God is a long and fruitless venture and that can amount to CHASING AFTER WIND.

He shows the emptiness of pursing the pleasures of what life itself can offer instead of seeking to have good relationship with God the eternal God and the creator of all that man toil to acquire.
The search for pleasure, Wealth and Success will ultimately disappoint man in his quest to abandon the reality to pursue what its end does not add value to life. There are circumstances that’s beyond the control of man which when it occurs can sweep away all the possessions or attainments one reached in life and that will amount to vanity and vexation of spirit.

He considered the works that men do under the planet earth and said that they are futile because of envy and jealousy due to unhealthy competition amongst themselves. People indulges in doing the same business done by another person not necessarily because he can do it better rather out of bad motive to out wit the other person and knock him out of business as such he employed all manner of tricks motivated by envy and jealousy to out do the other person thereby toils so hard to achieve his aim. This has resulted to increase in pursuing knowledge, learning and invention in a most crooked ways.

Paul in his letter to the Philippians , was narrating to the church in Philippi the burden he had suffered and the restriction his chain in the prison had brought to him in the preaching of Jesus Christ, because of that many preachers had become confident and bold to go out there to preach, some are doing that to spite him, and some are doing that with wrong motives out of envy and jealousy while others are doing that for good reasons. Whatever the motives, the most important thing is that Christ is being preached.

Philippians 1:14-18.

Philippians 1:14 And my being in prison has given most of the believers more confidence in the Lord, so that they grow bolder all the time to preach the message fearlessly.
Philippians 1:15 Of course some of them preach Christ because they are jealous and quarrelsome, but others from genuine good will.
Philippians 1:16 These do so from love, because they know that God has given me the work of defending the gospel.
Philippians 1:17 The others do not proclaim Christ sincerely, but from a spirit of selfish ambition; they think that they will make more trouble for me while I am in prison.
Philippians 1:18 It does not matter! I am happy about it—just so Christ is preached in every way possible, whether from wrong or right motives. And I will continue to be happy,

Yeah! Selfish ambitions have made many to deviate from their own calling and begin to emulate others by so doing they weary themselves and attracted disaffections in trying to out do the other person and many end up in hurting themselves.
The tension outside world today is very stiff; people do not have time for any other thing including paying attention to self now is very rare

It is common scene these days to hear that somebody went to bed and could not wake up in the morning even though the last time you checked on him was looking healthy ; sweating it out and bubbling with life not looking sick outwardly while inwardly his heart or organs may be begging for attention but he does not notice or have time to pay attention to his /her heart beat in other to detect early signs of illhealth because of worldly pursuits Without creating time for relaxation.

“Maybe so, but it is better to have only a little with peace of mind than with both hands trying to catch the wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:6) GNT
Stop wasting your time chasing fleeting earthly treasures thereby lose the eternal treasures which is in Christ Jesus

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While it is good to labour to satisfy your need and work to make a giving ; it is also good not to be a lazy man for a slack hand causes poverty but a diligent hand makes rich .
“He who gathers in summer is a prudent son but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame” (Proverbs 5:10).
“It is in vain that you rise up early and go to bed late to rest, eating bread of anxious toils for He gives to His beloved sleep” psalm 127:2

We have to be alive to count our blessings ; therefore Wisdom is profitable to direct. We must find the boundary line between toiling with hard labour and working diligently so that we can enjoy the work of our labour instead of toiling to eat the bread of sorrow which is Chasing after the wind And that will amount to Vanity And vexation of Spirit.

Human accomplishment will one day disappear this we must keep in mind in other to live wisely. Inordinate pursuit of earthly possessions are ultimately meaningless, only the pursuit of God that brings real satisfaction ; we should endeavour to honour God in all we do if we must enjoy satisfaction in life.

God wants us to view what we have whether it is much or little with contentment and with the right perspective for is God that gives us the power to create wealth yet wealth on its own is not our source of joy and happiness for every good things we ever acquired come from God. Therefore our focus should be in God the giver of all gift than the gift itself.

Thanks for Reading, Remain Blessed

✍️ Mrs Blessing I N Onugha ❤️