Everything Is Nothing Without Jesus

What Solomon writes makes me ponder how we encourage kids to be all they can be. “Be the best you.” “Do you.” “Dream big.” “Go for what you want.” He says all of that is chasing after the wind.

The wind has effects. It impacts our lives, but it cannot be held by our hands; it cannot be chased. It goes where it wants.

Is it hopeless, then, to teach our children to do the right thing? Does God want us to throw in the towel on life? Of course not. 

But there is a certain futility in setting our kids up to think life is about what they accomplish. 

It is nothing gained under the sun. Even though we do live our lives under the sun, God does not. He created the sun. When he gave us faith in Jesus, God brought us into his kingdom as his own children, and his kingdom is not under the sun. It is under the SON. 

We actually live in both kingdoms. The earthly one—under the sun—where we see disappointment and death. And we live in the Kingdom of God, basking in the “Sonshine” of his presence, his love for us that doesn’t stop even when our love for him fails. 

Our children desperately need to know that they are safe in his kingdom even as they live out their lives in a world that is destined to fail. They are safe because Jesus did the ultimate work of sacrificing his life to save ours. Jesus gave up everything so we can be with him forever. 

A Daily Prayer:
O God, I pray that we do not set our kids up to think that their value is in their accomplishments and what they can gain in this world. Give us wisdom and passion to teach them how you gave them victory over sin and death by sending your Son to live with us under the sun and bring us into your Kingdom forever. Amen.