One of my New Year’s intentions was to reconnect with a consistent Bible study routine. I landed on Hannah Anderson’s Life Under the Sun, an 8-week journey through Ecclesiastes, for two main reasons. First, my favorite verse is Ecclesiastes 3:11 ("He has made everything beautiful in its time"). Second, this book validates the "messy middle," that feeling of being anxious or confused by the often-contradictory nature of life.
I realized I often use distractions to escape reality when life feels too heavy or, conversely, too mundane. I started this study to learn how to stop fearing the wrong things and start enjoying the time God has given me "under the sun." Now that I’m halfway through, I wanted to share some of the wisdom that has shifted my perspective.
God's Sovereignty & Design
- Nothing is New: We can never introduce something "new" to God. There truly is nothing new under the sun; He is never surprised.
- The Beauty of the Cycle: Life doesn’t always progress in a straight line; it spins and cycles (pg. 29). Accepting this rhythm helps us find peace in the repetition.
- The Written Word: God uses human writers to meet us where we are, translating His eternal Truth into language we can grasp.
The Reality of Wisdom
- The Weight of Knowing: Much wisdom brings much grief. The more we see and know, the more we feel.
- The Divine Mystery: Even the wisest people on earth cannot fully grasp the depths of how God works.
- Internal Answers: Often, the answers to our deepest questions are already embedded within the problems themselves.
Work & Joy
- Reclaiming "Good": God created the world in goodness and sustains it in goodness still (pg. 69). We cannot fully experience "good" if we detach ourselves from the Giver of good things.
- From Futility to Offering: Our work under the sun can feel like "chasing the wind," but when we shift our focus to God, our efforts become an offering. Our work is only useful when it is done for Him.
We often think we need to escape our reality to find God, but Ecclesiastes reminds us that He meets us right here, 'under the sun.' Whether your work feels like a burden or a blessing today, remember that it can be an offering. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be purposeful. I'm still learning to put down the distractions and face the 'boring and heavy' parts of life with God instead of running from them. It’s not always easy, but it is always worth it. If you’ve been feeling anxious or confused by the 'cycles' of life lately, know that you aren't alone, and you don't have to figure it all out today.
I'll be back in a few weeks to share the rest of the lessons I'm learning while studying Ecclesiastes and "Life Under the Sun!"
