Really Living • Ecclesiastes 9 Jesus-Style

 Seize life! Eat bread with gusto! 

Drink wine with a robust heart, oh yes — 

God takes pleasure in your pleasure! 

Don't skimp on colors and scarves. 

Relish life with the spouse you love each and every day 

of your precarious life. Each day is God's gift. 

It's all you get in exchange for the 

hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one! 

Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. 

And heartily! This is your last and only chance 

at it, for there's neither work to do nor thoughts 

to think in the company of the dead 

where your most certainly headed. 

 

Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

 

... cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ — 

the Message — have the run of the house. 

Give it plenty of room in your lives. 

Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. 

And sing, sing your hearts out to God! 

Let every detail in your lives — 

words, actions, whatever — be done 

in the name of the Master, Jesus, 

thanking God the Father every step of the way. 

 

Colossians 3:15-17

 

Do your best. Work from the heart 

for your real Master, for God, 

confident that you'll get paid in full 

when you come into your inheritance. 

Keep in mind always that the ultimate 

Master you're serving is Christ. 

 

Colossians 3:23-24

 

Live creatively, friends. Make a careful exploration 

of who you are and the work you have been given, 

and then sink yourself into that. 

Don't be impressed with yourself. 

Don't compare yourself with others. 

Each of you must take responsibility for 

doing the creative best you can with your own life. 

 

Galatians 6:1, 4-5

•

Solomon's words are wise
and are very good advise.

To take this gift of life
we've been given
and run with it.

Live life to its fullest.
Take joy in each day.

On our own,
left to our own devices,
living only for our own pleasure
will eventually become burdensome and stale.

And lonely.

Full, exuberant lives
may be exciting and wild —
they still lead to death —
without Jesus.

Believing in Jesus
yet clinging so desperately
to what we have.
Hiding, hoarding, holding back,
playing it safe...

that's not living!

Jesus came to give us
real life, wild and free,
creative and full —
spreading life and love
all around.

Stepping out,
running with our Savior,
boldly following where He leads,
thankfully acknowledging all He does for us,
joyfully accepting this gift of life...

now that is living.