The Only Success You Can Guarantee: Lessons from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes

The useful part

Proverbs liked to show how good patterns of living often bring good results. While Proverbs holds a lot of truth, Ecclesiastes likes to question the oversimplification found therein. Though Ecclesiastes often takes a more pragmatic (and sometimes, bitter) route to get there, it teaches the same great truth: purpose in life is found in following after God no matter what happens.

How it works

• After going through the rounds of discussing the nothingness of man (even when does follow after wisdom), it comes to this great conclusion.
• We are taught to be leaders but then get released and follow after someone else's leadership.
• We are taught to show up day after day, year after year, contributing and giving and striving, without any guarantee of visible progress.
• At what point, do we look at our lives and feel that we've "made it?" This conversation was a result of my husband working really hard on projects only for them to completely fall apart and amount to nothing.
• I've watched him build incredible things and spend countless hours developing machines that could be a blessing to people, only to hit a dead end and watch those hours fade away into a resounding halt.

What to take from it

You can work forever on something only for it to completely fall apart because of random bad luck. We are taught to keep spiritual records that may never be enjoyed by posterity after us (or, in the very least, never be read past the first one or two generations). We are taught to try and make the world a better place, even though we know the end of the world is not known for being righteous.

Example or evidence

• No matter how we save or prepare or build, we cannot guarantee the ability to provide for our families.
• We can work hard to build something good, and we may find it, but there are no promises in that regard.
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• We often love to espouse that working hard can bring success, and I do believe that in a lot of ways.

Details worth keeping

It's like the Eeyore of books of wisdom in the bible. Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

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