Kingdom Perspective (3)

I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for wind. Ecclesiastes 1.12-14

Under the circumstances
The problem with many of us who have made the Kingdom turn is that we live according to the wrong set of circumstances.

I recall Howard Hendricks, of Dallas Theological Seminary, giving a talk on the things that limit the Christian’s power to realize full and abundant, fruitful life in Jesus Christ. Foremost among these, he explained, is that we let our lives be determined by the external circumstances of life rather than the indwelling power of God.

What kinds of circumstances? Well, our past experience, for one. If we have never experienced something, then we’re not likely to believe we ever will. Or we’ll always be seeking those experiences which, in the past, felt comfortable to us. Or adversity, for another. When difficulties or trials come our way, rather than plunge into them with the power of God, we shrink back, hunkering down until circumstances become favorable once again. Fear of potential circumstances can also freeze us in our tracks, for example, when we think about sharing the Gospel with a friend, but fear how he might respond.

Dr. Hendricks related how he’d asked a brooding student one day how he was doing. The student said, “Pretty well, I suppose, under the circumstances.” To which Dr. Hendricks replied, “Under the circumstances! What are you doing under there?”

Rehoboam’s problem, and ours
In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon is at pains to persuade his son, Rehoboam, to acquire a new set of cues for how to live, and how to govern once he became king. Rehoboam was hanging with the wrong crowd. He was sowing his wild oats, living the good life, and avoiding any entanglements or obligations that might inconvenience him or cause him discomfort. Solomon implied he was living “under the sun.” He was taking his cues from the material world and materialistic-minded people, and arranging the circumstances of his life to avoid responsibility and indulge comfort by every possible means.

Solomon explained that such a life, built upon and around favorable material circumstances, is like chasing after the wind. It’s the way the fool lives, who seeks only comfortable situations and lives for maximum personal advantage in the midst of world of suffering, sorrow, want, and oppression. Under such circumstances, fools can get through life with a minimum of trouble. But they add little or nothing in the way of wisdom or neighbor love to those around them.

Isn’t this the problem of many of us, even many of us who claim to have made the Kingdom turn? We spend our lives trying to arrange the best possible circumstances so that we can live happy and at ease, with as little sacrifice or suffering as possible. Let something in our agenda go awry, and we become sad, depressed, or angry until we can once again arrange our temporal and material circumstances to suit our preferred sense of wellbeing.

We’re living like Rehoboam, under the sun, rather than under the heavens, where Christ rules at the right hand of God.

Under the heavens living
Solomon went on to explain that if we organize our lives according to eternal circumstances – the reality and rule of God our King – then everything in life makes sense, everything that comes our way is bearable, and everyone we meet will know the blessings of wisdom and love at our hands.

Under the heavens we accept that life is difficult, and that it’s necessary to grow into our Kingdom calling and the power that comes with it (Eccl. 1.12, 13). Solomon explained that everything involved with what it means to be a human being hangs on fearing God, lining our lives up with His Word, and keeping our eyes focused on Him in all the situations and circumstances of our lives (Eccl. 3.1-11; 12.1, 9-14). The only circumstances worth living under, in other words, are those that acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, and that we live and reign with Him over the whole vast cosmos, which He rules.

Those who have made the Kingdom turn must not be ruled by their temporal circumstances. Our everyday lives can look in many ways like those of our unbelieving neighbors and friends. But if we can learn to live under the heavens rather than under our temporal and material circumstances, we will find that the power whereby King Jesus rules at the right hand of God will flow to us and through us into all our relationships, roles, and responsibilities, so that the progress of Christ’s Kingdom becomes increasingly evident in everything we do.

Next steps: Are there any areas of your life where you’re not living as fully “under the heavens” as you should? What can you do to begin remedying this? Ask a church leader to help you think this through.

T. M. Moore
Additional Resources

This week’s study, Kingdom Perspective, is the second of an eight-part series on The Kingdom Turn, and is available as a free download. T. M. has written two books to complement this eight-part series. You can order The Kingship of Jesus by clicking here, and The Gospel of the Kingdom by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.