Are you bitter or blessed?

Just recently, I took a walk down memory lane. I remembered early Christmas with my family, roller skating at age 8 in my garage playing roller derby with my brother, and my first job painting with my uncle at 12. I remember my graduation party from college, the expression I had when I saw my first child come out of the womb, and helping them with their first steps, first times learning to swing, hit a ball, and ride a bike. I remember it like it was yesterday!

Those memories all different were all fond, which I still cherish to this day. But I also remember tough times: my son’s challenging open-heart surgeries, my father and mother in law deaths, tough financial seasons, devastating church hurts, and medical illness which could have killed me. And as tough as though memories are I can’t forget them because they’re ingrained in my mind.

Solomon was the richest, the wisest, and the most talented man who ever lived; and he was facing an epiphany himself. Earlier in his life as outlined in Ecclesiastes 2 he had made parks, gardens, had business and staff larger than anyone could imagine. He had an immeasurable amount of gold, silver, singers, harems, and anything else that someone could delight in. Sounds like a phenomenal life to me!!

But as we move forward in his story, despite all his successes and things he owned and had enjoyed; he’d found a reason to be bitter. Bitter is a harsh and disagreeable taste one has for something. Being bitter is characterized by something being hard to bear; piercing, stinging, and something causing pain.

He began complaining that life was meaningless (Ecc 2:10-11, 4:4,8, 6:11-12, 7:15, 8:14, 12:8). But his main frustration was with his successor, for he couldn’t take it with him and would have to leave it under someone else’s care (Ecc 2:17-20). He may be foolish and waste all he’s amassed, and the thought of this brought him great frustration and bitterness.

So, the question on the table is will you acknowledge the goodness upon your life and enjoy the blessings or remove your focus on what you don’t have or can’t control. Bitter or blessed, Solomon made sure he left the correct answer with the world.

Ecc 12:13 now here’s the conclusion of the matter, fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole (entire, summary) of man. It’s when you get that, is when the blessings will overtake you.