What's the 'take away?'
""A man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it.""
Ecc 2:21
In business we talk about the 'take away'. It's your net profit, your bottom line reward. Here's a truth you need to know before they tag your toe, arrange your funeral service and lay flowers on your grave: when you live for yourself and fail to fulfil God's purpose for your life, the 'take away' is not worth the investment. Solomon writes, "So I turned in despair from hard work. It was not the answer to my search for satisfaction in this life. For though I do my work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, I must leave everything I gain to people who haven't worked to earn it. This is not only foolish, but highly unfair" (Ecc 2:18-21 NIV). Or as author John Capozzi puts it, "The executive who works from 7 a.m. till 7 p.m. every day will be very successful. He will also be fondly remembered by his wife's next husband." The day is coming when all the stuff you've striven, strained and stressed out to acquire will make no difference. Your résumé and job title will no longer impress anyone. No one will care what clothes you wore or what cars you drove, except your relatives who plan to wear them, drive them or sell them. If you're wise you'll plan to exit this life with a 'take away' that involves these three things: (a) Satisfaction, that comes from having fulfilled your God-given assignment here on earth. (b) Success, that's measured in terms of eternal rewards, not temporal ones. (c) Security, that comes from knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. These are the only 'take away' worth living for!
