“Money, money, money.” It’s what I was thinking as I walked down the city streets of Dubai with my family. We were there to visit some family who moved there for a job change. Though the streets weren’t paved with gold, it might not have been that far off. The place was as clean as Disney World, and extravagant construction abounded. Everything had a new and luxurious feel to it. Clearly, the goal was to make everything in the city the biggest, most expensive, and the greatest. And they were succeeding at a rapid pace.
From the fashion, to the luxury cars, to the opulent malls (with ski slopes, aquariums and more), to the tallest building in the world, the wealth was all in-your-face. Most of it left me in disbelief.
Now, this newsletter isn’t meant as a travel brochure for the city, but it was just so different from the sights of my normal day. The lifestyle and culture of the city was such an outlier that it was a caricature for wealth and status. There was no apology for any of the extravagance: in fact, extravagance was the point to it all. It was easy to see the goals and ambitions of the city.
But it got me thinking. It was easy to see “the point” of Dubai, but for many of us, our dreams and hopes are more hidden. A quick glance at one’s life might not be able to reveal the answer to the question, “What’s the point?”
As we’re hitting the home stretch in our “What’s the Point?” sermon series through Ecclesiastes, we’re narrowing our focus in answering that question. At the core of who you are, have you been challenged to re-examine and give an answer for yourself about “What’s the point?” I hope you have. Though it can be a tough question to consider, it is worthwhile. What do you find yourself yearning for, celebrating, and working towards? What are your dreams? What would you find difficult to live without? Where have Solomon’s examinations throughout Ecclesiastes made you feel uncomfortable? Has he revealed something you cherish to actually be emptier than you expected? The answers to these questions are good places to start in answering our “What’s the Point?” question.
It would be a shame to go through life and succeed abundantly… at something that doesn’t really matter or has no eternal significance. It’d be a tragedy to accumulate amazing amounts of wealth and prestige… but miss the point of why God created you. Lean into His vision and His hope for your life. It’s way better than anything we can come up with and create on our own.
Blessings,
Mark
From the fashion, to the luxury cars, to the opulent malls (with ski slopes, aquariums and more), to the tallest building in the world, the wealth was all in-your-face. Most of it left me in disbelief.
Now, this newsletter isn’t meant as a travel brochure for the city, but it was just so different from the sights of my normal day. The lifestyle and culture of the city was such an outlier that it was a caricature for wealth and status. There was no apology for any of the extravagance: in fact, extravagance was the point to it all. It was easy to see the goals and ambitions of the city.
But it got me thinking. It was easy to see “the point” of Dubai, but for many of us, our dreams and hopes are more hidden. A quick glance at one’s life might not be able to reveal the answer to the question, “What’s the point?”
As we’re hitting the home stretch in our “What’s the Point?” sermon series through Ecclesiastes, we’re narrowing our focus in answering that question. At the core of who you are, have you been challenged to re-examine and give an answer for yourself about “What’s the point?” I hope you have. Though it can be a tough question to consider, it is worthwhile. What do you find yourself yearning for, celebrating, and working towards? What are your dreams? What would you find difficult to live without? Where have Solomon’s examinations throughout Ecclesiastes made you feel uncomfortable? Has he revealed something you cherish to actually be emptier than you expected? The answers to these questions are good places to start in answering our “What’s the Point?” question.
It would be a shame to go through life and succeed abundantly… at something that doesn’t really matter or has no eternal significance. It’d be a tragedy to accumulate amazing amounts of wealth and prestige… but miss the point of why God created you. Lean into His vision and His hope for your life. It’s way better than anything we can come up with and create on our own.
Blessings,
Mark
Posted in Pastor\'s note