Nothing Changes

Throughout history, people have chased after satisfaction in everything but God.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 gives us a couple things to consider.

First, there are always new inventions. But are they really new? What about ideas? Hasn’t someone thought of all this before? Are today's challenges different than those of the past?

If you go a bit deeper, you'll see that human desires haven't really changed. We all want to be happy, healthy, prosperous, and to have good relationships. Human nature has been the same since the day our first parents were kicked out of Eden. The evil that would undo us is always below the surface, waiting for the proper opportunity to erupt and wreak havoc in our lives.

Here's how redemption fits into our everyday struggles. Jesus brings redemption to our souls. We as His people long to share that with the world. The way we do that is to not only tell others about His grace but show it in ways they can see, feel, and touch.

For example, if your job is to fix cars, the mission of redemption that Jesus gives you will drive you to make sure that car runs better than it did when it came to you. What motivates you is that your work brings glory to the God who freed you to do your best and gives you all you need to do it. That will leave a different experience for others that they'll remember.

This leads to the next thing to consider: We forget what happens to us. History is written down well enough, but few bother to read it and learn anything. So it gets repeated again and again. But not only that, we believe that we improve to the point that we don't need to remind ourselves of the lessons history teaches. When things go well, we forget also that there is and always will be evil living in human hearts. This is what trips us up and deludes us into thinking we're alright the way we are. Then personal growth and the exercise of grace become stunted.

The lesson is clear enough. Remember the reason Jesus came – we need help. Together we can change the world, but not without Jesus. It's His power that gives you the energy to bring redemption to your world. Don’t forget that. It's the only way to find true joy.