By now we are familiar with Solomon’s recurring lament about life: “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” Over and over he has reminded us that life is frequently disappointing, unfair, oppressive, tragic, and seemingly without point or meaning.

All of that could have a numbing effect on our outlook that could lead to a virtual paralysis about life. We might ask, “What’s the use? Isn’t it better to just withdraw from life as much as possible to avoid getting hurt?”

In spite of Solomon’s mournful refrain, with- drawing from life was certainly not his conclusion as to how to respond to its pain and unfairness. Instead, in spite of all the seeming vanity about life “under the sun,” he issues in chapters 11 and 12 a stirring call to action.

Chuck Swindoll paraphrases Solomon’s exhortation with the words “Go for it!” Be “bullish” about life! Since life is full of pitfalls, we will have to work at it to find any meaning and satisfaction. So we had better get on with the task.

The text, 11:1-6, is about getting the most out of life. There are numerous applications of Solomon’s  words:  social,  economic,  spiritual, evangelistic, etc. As we look at these verses, make your own applications as they best apply to your own life.

Here are Solomon’s suggestions for getting the most out of life:

INVEST IN THE LIFE OF FAITH

Ecclesiastes 11:1 is often quoted but seldom understood as Solomon intended: Ecclesiastes 11:1 (ESV) Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.

Solomon would have agreed with the modern proverb: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” If life is going to be full and meaningful, it has to be a life of faith.

“Casting your bread” refers to the willingness to risk yourself now in anticipation of the future.

The imagery is probably drawn from ancient maritime trading. Trading by sea was a long, expensive process. One had to be willing to risk a great deal and be patient in order to see any return. But to those who were willing to risk it, the rewards could be great.

Some live only for the here and now. They take no risks, leave nothing to chance, are willing to wait for nothing if there is the slightest possibility that it might not come through. For such people, life can become incredibly dull! But the life of faith trusts that what we do by faith now has sure returns. After all, that is what our hope of heaven is all about. Such confidence leads us to be “risk-takers for the Lord.” This boldness about life and willingness to take risks causes people to leave behind the comforts and security of home to take the message of Jesus to other lands.

This boldness motivates parents and Bible class teachers to invest hours, days, and years of their lives to the training of sometimes wiggly, inattentive children in the ways of the Lord. All diligent servants of Christ are convinced that all “bread” cast in Jesus’ name eventually comes back!

BE GENEROUS

Generosity is a better guarantee of the future than stinginess. Solomon admonishes us to give freely to others in anticipation of some day being in need ourselves: Ecclesiastes 11:2 (ESV) Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.

The idea is not to give in anticipation of a reward, for that would not be true generosity. The generous ones find that in their time of need, they have many friends. On the other hand, those who live their lives in a self-protective mode, looking out for no one but themselves, find that in their time of  need,  self  is  all  they  have!  We  cheat  only ourselves by being stingy.

ACT IN FAITH DESPITE THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE

Ecclesiastes 11:3 (ESV) If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.

Problems of life will come, and there is nothing that we can do to stop them. Clouds produce rain, trees fall, and accidents happen.

Some of these inevitable things will be bad things. As the next verse says, some will allow those inevitable  bad  things  to  keep  them  from  the business of life: Ecclesiastes 11:4 (ESV) He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

We cannot allow our focus to be on the negatives of life. We must carry on with life’s plans, expecting setbacks, but believing that our effort will be rewarded. A particular manifestation of “looking at the clouds” occurs when some people take every setback in life as some sort of “sign” from God. If some plan falls through or becomes more difficult than anticipated, they conclude that God is “telling them something” and immediately seek a change of course. Followed to the extreme, this tendency would cause some people to be afraid to do anything!

To see the fallacy of such an idea, think of Paul. What if he had taken each obstacle thrown in his way as a sign that he was not doing God’s will? Would much of the Gentile world have been evangelized? He faced dangers at every turn, yet he was confident that he was doing what God wanted. Why? Because, as he himself put it, he “walked by faith and not by sight.”

Many churches need to learn this lesson. Just because a work for the Lord is difficult, expensive, or risky does not mean that it should not be done! Church leaders sometimes retreat from opportunities to go forward in the cause of Christ, pointing out, “We must be realistic!”

But we must also be sure that we get on with the business at hand—taking the gospel to the world— and not allow “being realistic” to become an excuse for avoiding the difficult or the expensive. Perhaps much of our “realism” is actually “observing the wind” and failing to sow.

ENJOY THE ELEMENT OF MYSTERY IN LIFE

As 11:5 so eloquently puts it, there are some wonderful things about life that man is powerless to bring about or even to explain: Ecclesiastes 11:5 (ESV) As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

God causes them to happen, and we stand in awe. When dealing with God, there will always be that element of mystery and wonder and the unexpected because God is all-powerful and can do things that we cannot imagine!

Paul marveled at this mysterious quality of God in Romans 11:33: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

And then there is the wonderful doxology in Ephesians 3:20, 21: “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

We should never allow ourselves to think that we have God all figured out, that we know exactly what He will and will not do. As God, He remains free to act as He wills, and we are in awe at His power and wisdom, both of which far surpass our own.

But that is precisely what makes the life of faith an adventure! Living by faith in the God of the Bible is unquestionably the most exciting way to live. Think of Abraham.

When he was far past the normal point in life for being able to father a child, God said to him, “You will have a son.” How could it be so? The answer is simply, God!

Do not hold back! Live the life of faith, and see what God will do in your life.

INVEST WIDELY IN LIFE

Ecclesiastes 11:6 (ESV) In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

A wise farmer will always sow more seed than he thinks he needs. It is a basic principle of agriculture. One cannot be stingy with the seed and reap a vast harvest. There could be many applications of this principle. Invest yourself in many aspects of life. Then, in spite of disappointment in some areas, there will still be something rewarding about life.

Another would be the suggestion to enjoy as many activities as possible, in order to avoid becoming too narrowly focused.

One obvious application for Christians involves evangelism. Jesus told us that the “seed” in His parable of the sower is the Word of God. And the more of that seed we sow, the more we will reap. Is your congregation not having enough conversions? Sow more seed! Teach everyone you can.

Solomon knew that life gives a poor return for a poor investment; therefore, he challenges us to invest ourselves fully. Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:24, 25; emphasis mine).

Live the life of faith. Do not be thrown off track by the obstacles. Do not be frightened by the risks. “In due season we shall reap!”

Solomon now gives additional suggestions for getting the most out of life.

LIFE IS TO BE ENJOYED, NOT ENDURED

Verse 7 says, “Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. This may seem like a meaningless proverb until we observe the usual meaning of the Old Testament symbolism of “light.”

This word frequently stands for the goodness and joy of life. Job 18:5, 6 says, “Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out, and the flame of his fire gives no light. The light in his tent is darkened, and his lamp goes out above him.”

Psalms 97:11 says, “Light is sown like seed for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.”

Solomon also proclaims that in spite of its “vanity,” life has its good aspects, and it is good to enjoy them.

Life is beautiful and worthy of being cared for . . . and enjoyed. . . . It is in the spirit of the whole book that, along with the call to earnest activity, there should be the call to the pleasant enjoyment of life: he who faithfully labors has a right to enjoy his life.

But someone might wonder, “Why do we need to be told that?” The answer is that some of life’s “vanities” often cause us to think that we are not supposed to enjoy life. Maybe you grew up around unhappy, negative-thinking people who gave you the impression that life is not supposed to be enjoyed.

An enormous load of guilt feelings is passed from their parents, teachers, and others of importance to them that causes them to feel they are unworthy of a happy life.

They may think that something is wrong if they are not sad or struggling with a deep problem. Solomon—and God—says, “Wrong!” Christians are not to spend their lives with a dismal outlook. God wants His people to be joyful and appreciative of His blessings. If anyone is to look for the bright side in this world, it must be the people of God, those who can look beyond circumstances and see life’s real meaning and true beauty which is found in a knowledge of its Creator.

According to the opening chapters of Genesis, Satan, not God, injected the element of vanity into life “under the sun.” Satan wants to eradicate God’s joy from our lives, but God wants to eradicate the vanity and fill us with joy.

In spite of the inevitable “vanity,” much is good about life, and it is all right to enjoy it!

EVERY PHASE OF LIFE IS TO BE ENJOYED

There is (or can be) something good about life at every stage. “Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all” (11:8a).

We may at times have to look for the good, but it is there for the finding. Obviously, it is easier to find the good at some times in life than at others. Youth is generally a time of optimism and strength.

But changes come, and that in itself can be depressing (see 12:1-8). It is not enjoyable to see your skin sag, your eyes grow dim, your strength diminish, or your hair staring back at you from the bathroom sink! But Solomon advises us not to spend our lives bemoaning the changes. Rather, we should look for the unique joys that come with each phase of life.

Solomon gives an interesting and sobering reason for what he says about enjoying all of life’s phases: “Let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many” (11:8b). This is merely a poetic way of saying, “You had better enjoy life now; you will be dead for a very long time!”

The certainty of death makes it imperative to enjoy life while we can. Many people “die” years before their time by refusing to look for the good in life and by making themselves miserable.

Of course, we know something about death that Solomon did not know: that it can be even better than earthly life because of Christ.

Even for Christians, our time in this life is limited, and we should use it to the fullest. The psalmist said, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom” (Psalms 90:12).

And Jesus said, “We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work” (John 9:4).

YOUTH IS NOT TO BE WASTED

“Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood” (11:9a).

Solomon seems to advise against the tendency to feel sorry for ourselves and create our own brand of misery. Youth is the time to learn that life is, to a great extent, what you choose to make it. So much of the way our lives turn out depends on our outlook.

A popular saying is, “Have a good day.” It is a pleasant sentiment, but it does not mean much. A better exhortation would be “Make it a good day!”

We must take the initiative in molding and using our circumstances—good and bad— to the fullest. Solomon advises the young man to “remove vexation from your heart and put away pain from your body” (11:10).

No one can remove all of the pain and frustration from life, but we should remove all we can and not make ourselves miserable! “. . . because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.”

Neither youth nor the prime of life are permanent, and neither holds the ultimate answer to life’s meaning. En- joy your youth, Solomon says, and do not waste it, but realize that there is more to life than its first twenty or thirty years.

WE ARE MORALLY AND SPIRITUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WAY WE LIVE

The first part of verse 9 could be misunderstood as teaching that we should each do as we please: Ecclesiastes 11:9 (ESV) Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

But the last statement provides a necessary corrective to that idea: Ecclesiastes 11:9 (ESV)  Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

These words are intended to provide a balanced view of life. Life is to be enjoyed, but limits are to be observed. God will call us to account for all we do.

This balanced understanding will save us from misusing our lives. Many of the problems plaguing today’s youth are tragic, for they are unnecessary and avoidable. Alcohol and drug abuse, teen pregnancy, the danger of AIDS—all complicate life needlessly. Life has enough “vanity” without making it worse!

Solomon is not just talking about the “natural consequences” of sin. We must face God in judgment and answer for the lives we have lived.

Solomon has no clear conception of what this judgment will be like, but his faith in a moral God makes it a certainty. All that we do—whether in youth or old age—is done in God’s sight, and we must answer for it.

CONCLUSION

What does Solomon recommend about getting the most out of life? Enjoy it to the fullest. Do not be detoured by the obstacles or waste any part of it. Above all, be conscious of your responsibility to God for the way you live.

In this way you can have the “abundant life” that Jesus talked about.