You learn at an early age that life is not fair. Solomon, in his wisdom, gave a lot of thought to what he observed in life. It troubled him that it didn’t seem to matter if you pursued selfish, sinful actions or if you tried to pursue righteous, loving actions.
Dedication to God did not earn anyone exemption from the ups and downs of life.
“It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice... (v2)
We may not know what is coming at us, but as Christians, we know that God does.
“But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God... (v1)
The enemy will try to derail your trust in God and get you to focus on how your circumstances differ from others. From these comparisons can arise many enslaving sins such as pride, bitterness, envy, disillusionment, anger, etc. when we focus on what we think we are missing out on, we struggle to focus on the purposes and blessings of God. Even in the midst of our trials and sorrows, God continues to love us and promises to help us. The key is to not focus on the unfairness of our circumstances but to look to God to guide us through those circumstances, using those circumstances to make us more Christlike as well as honoring and glorifying Him.
Solomon realized that life was unfair and the pursuits of man often meaningless. But, God had given Solomon great wisdom and Solomon also discerned that there was an ultimate purpose to this life.
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (v13 )
Life may not be fair, but God is fair and righteous. Regardless of our circumstances, our duty as Christians is to trust and obey. Evil will not always prevail. Eventually, all that happens in this life will be judged and evil will be eradicated. In the meantime, we are the representatives of Christ on this earth. Others can see Christ when they see us choose to honor him and remain focused on our riches “ in Him” no matter what life circumstances we find ourselves in.