Don't Let Regret Grace Your Old Age

Source: www.pinterest.com
Yeah, I thought of starting on that note, the Bible. Please take a minute and read the following context slowly. Let it sink in:

Ecclesiastes 1: 1-9(NKJV)

The Vanity of Life

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

3 What profit has a man from all his labor
In which he toils under the sun?
4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
But the earth abides forever.
5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,
And hastens to the place where it arose.
6 The wind goes toward the south,
And turns around to the north;
The wind whirls about continually,
And comes again on its circuit.
7 All the rivers run into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full;
To the place from which the rivers come,
There they return again.
8 All things are full of labor;
Man cannot express it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which it may be said,
“See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come
By those who will come after.

I first read this context of the Scriptures a few years back but it was not until this year that it really dawned on me that all is indeed vanity! This is a generation that "chases the paper" more than chases joy. We are in a season where money talks dictate even the most confidential talks with loved ones. Whenever money is mentioned, our ears turn into an "alert mode", more like the rabbits alert ears. And is money evil? Absolutely not! But I believe the love of money is what culminates into immeasurable evil. 

I hope you get my drift, I am an proponent of hard work, diligence and well-calculated efforts that bring change and solve issues in the societies. By the way, change is good. Change is inevitable. Diligence is an invaluable tool for effective and effectual change. Pause. There is nothing new under the sun. Refer to your history and you will recall that Agrarian Revolution dates back to the 8th Century. Change began way about 10000B.C. Hunting and gathering was shunned and "modern" farming methods were adopted. Some of the Agribusiness technologies that we currently employ are actually a foreshadow of the methods adopted long ago. We are quite creative and innovative.. but that's not all to life. Now here is where my argument begins. 

Houses will be built. Roads will be expanded. Technology will keep improving to suit our endless and somewhat dynamic needs and wants. Our systems ans processes will keep changing but to what end? It is all vanity. It all remains a labor of the earth, not even close to permanency. King Solomon, full of wisdom and wealth, found no satisfaction in material things. Satisfaction goes way beyond..in fact, the real satisfaction is embedded in the priceless things such as joy, peace, love, goodness, faithfulness, patience, gentleness, faith, humility, and self-control. No amount of cheddar can buy these things. 

Live life based on these virtues. I am not one to give nuggets but a few won't hurt, would they?

1. Find joy for your soul. 
2. Be at peace with thyself and all men and women. 
3. Love people..you need no reason to love. 
4. Be good. Engage in general acts of kindness.
5. Stay faithful. Let what you think, speak and do be in harmony.
6. Be patient. Keep calm, no good thing is attained in an instant. 
7. Be gentle and composed.
8. Have faith. GOD is real. GOD is not dead.
9. Be meek. Pride is detrimental to progress.
10. Have temperance. Self-control is more than necessary especially in a generation where self cries out for attention.

Whatever the case, live life in a way that will not allow regret grace your old age.