Ecclesiastes 4:4,8
4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 8 There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business!
The second Sunday of Advent we talked about “The Treadmill.” The treadmill is a metaphor for our tendency to make a job out of anything and everything. We are especially good at getting on the treadmill during Christmas season. However, that’s not the only time. We make a job out of parties for our kids, vacations (Have you said like me, “I need a vacation from my vacation?”), reading the Bible, sports…you name it! If you want to read some ways others have seen this, check out my facebook page (www.facebook.com/NeilTomba)
One of the Hebrew words Solomon uses over and over again in Ecclesiastes is the word “amal.” It is usually translated as work, toil, labor. It is what we are doing when we are on the treadmill. In Ecclesiastes 4:4-8, Solomon observes two things that fuel the treadmill. One is competition or envy. The other is greed. Solomon tells us that this toil for the pleasure of being on top and to possess inordinate amounts of stuff and status steals both rest and relationship.
If you are on the treadmill, the safe way to get off and rest is to hit the stop button. Easier said than done. We will only hit the stop button if we hear Jesus saying at the cross, “It is finished!” There is nothing left to prove!
How do you need to hit the stop button this week?
Let's Pray Together
4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 8 There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business!
The second Sunday of Advent we talked about “The Treadmill.” The treadmill is a metaphor for our tendency to make a job out of anything and everything. We are especially good at getting on the treadmill during Christmas season. However, that’s not the only time. We make a job out of parties for our kids, vacations (Have you said like me, “I need a vacation from my vacation?”), reading the Bible, sports…you name it! If you want to read some ways others have seen this, check out my facebook page (www.facebook.com/NeilTomba)
One of the Hebrew words Solomon uses over and over again in Ecclesiastes is the word “amal.” It is usually translated as work, toil, labor. It is what we are doing when we are on the treadmill. In Ecclesiastes 4:4-8, Solomon observes two things that fuel the treadmill. One is competition or envy. The other is greed. Solomon tells us that this toil for the pleasure of being on top and to possess inordinate amounts of stuff and status steals both rest and relationship.
If you are on the treadmill, the safe way to get off and rest is to hit the stop button. Easier said than done. We will only hit the stop button if we hear Jesus saying at the cross, “It is finished!” There is nothing left to prove!
How do you need to hit the stop button this week?
Let's Pray Together
Father, I confess my propensity to make a job out of good things in life. I confess the need to prove myself to You, others, and even myself. I need to hear Jesus say, “there is nothing left to prove,” this season in order that I may enter into rest. Holy Spirit, show me specifically where I am on the treadmill and what it means for me to hit the stop button.
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5 comments:
I am continually blessed by what you have to say, but yesterday's message really spoke to me. I am one of those people that has been on the treadmill of life, trying to keep up and make sure everything looks good from the outside. I used to think that I wasn't competitive, and that it was always other people competing with me, but then got to thinking more about it and realized that "other people competing with me" wouldn't bother me at all if I, myself, wasn't competitive. :) I have been running around like a crazy person this fall and this Wednesday am throwing my third party at my home in two months (and I'm pregnant with a baby coming in March!). Yesterday, after my husband's nudging of me during the service, I realized that maybe I was just trying to please other people by constantly going and doing. More often than not, I find myself doing things for others, not because it joys me to serve them (it does), but because of the praise and recognition I get from them. And then when I don't get the full praise and recognition that I think I am worthy of, it really bothers me...which makes me realize I'm doing those things for the wrong reasons. I really loved the final line "nothing left to prove"...SO true. We each put our stop sign magnets up on the fridge and those will serve as a constant reminder that we need to rest and take care of ourselves. I went to bed last night around 9:15...fully dressed, makeup on, and slept for 10 hours...obviously I needed it! Anyway, just wanted to say thanks and I plan to really work on taking care of myself and serving with a joyful heart, not just to receive praise, and to keep up with the "Jones's".
I just wanted to encourageme you after this sermon. It really spoke to me in the place that I am now. I joked with my husband during the service that you must have had a hidden microphone in our car this morning. I was telling him my struggles with the very thing you spoke about on our way to church.
I know the treadmill concept applies to holiday season, but I struggle with competition, envy and greed all the time. It was kind of a relief to hear it explained this way. To know that I can push that STOP button when I realize that there's nothing to prove. It made me see that my friends and family who have more than we do love me for other reasons besides our earthly possessions.
Thank you for that reminder and explanation of the treadmill. It will help me this holiday season especially.
But what happens if your treadmill suddenly has lost its permission to run? What then? The whole world is watching you, and all that you have worked for is suddenly not giving you the boost you need to reach the finish line! Do you simply approach it as a metaphor, as a visual aid of sorts? Or do you just hop right on and run in place, knowing that your destination can be reached if you just stick with it until the end! The latter is why Neil Tomba rocks!
Neil, your sermon on Sunday has stuck with me. I keep hearing..."what do I have to prove?"..and the answer is nothing as I am complete in Christ. So when I am tempted to get trendy in the wardrobe department and spend money on clothes I don't need...I hear, "what do I have to prove?" and I have the strength to not buy additional clothes. When I start to worry about what someone may think or how I look, I hear "what do I have to prove" and the worry ceases. May God continue to use you in a mighty way and may our entire church see when we get on our treadmills, may we remember to stop and think - what do we have to prove? - and may Christ give us the strength and fill us up so completely that we realize our significance is found in Christ alone so that all other strivings cease.
Neil, I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your message this past Sunday about treadmills and taking time to rest. It was a very encouraging message. I just finished reading Hebrew 4:1-10 speaking about rest. Dr. Stanley Toussaint of Dallas Theological Seminary was my teacher for the Book of Hebrews. Your message reminded me of something Dr. Toussaint had said. Dr. Toussaint read Heb. 4:4 asked the students if they had ever noticed in the Genesis Creation account that there was a beginning and an ending for each day except the seventh day. Dr Toussaint said the seventh day, the Sabbath rest, is a picture of the millennial rest that introduces God's eternal day. What an idea that there is a day coming when there will be eternal rest and our worship of God for eternity will be anything but work. Living here in Dallas with the busyness and scheduled appointments, at times it is heard to believe, even for a seminary student, of an eternal rest. Thanks again for putting things back in their proper perspective and your faithful ministry to the church.
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