Discussion Guide
We think life is all about us. “Life my way is the best way.” Or is it? No matter how hard we try, how much wealth or recognition we have, we aren’t satisfied. The truth is, unless we do life God’s way, we won’t ever be satisfied. Our desires will be as unfulfilled as we are. Let’s consider the ways in which we can choose to do life God’s way.
What you will need: A Bible or your Bible app, a notebook, pen, and highlighter. The verses highlighted below are linked so that you can easily access them during your study time.
Jump Start
1. What desire have you prayed for – that God didn’t grant? Do you now understand why that was or not?
2. Read Ecclesiastes 2:3. Which desires are not worth pursuing, which ones are?
3. Not all desires are sinful. Read Genesis 2:9; 3:5-6. At what point does a desire become sinful?
4. Read Ecclesiastes 12:13; Matthew 6:33. What is the “whole duty of man” according to Solomon that Jesus reminded us to “Seek first...”?
Action Step: Write down your top three desires in life. Now evaluate whether you put them in order of importance. Which do you spend the most time on? Is there a desire you wish was a priority, but it gets pushed to the back burner? Compare your top desires with God’s desire for you. Are there areas you want to adjust, if so, what action can you take to make your schedule match your intentions?
Deeper
What can we learn from Solomon and his thorough pursuit of the meaning of life? Let’s read a few sections from Ecclesiastes and discuss the various pursuits he considered that came up short:
6. Read Ecclesiastes 2:12-17. Consider how even good things like living wisely can be meaningless.
7. Read Ecclesiastes 2:18-26. Consider how even good things like hard work can be meaningless. What does Solomon hate about his “toil?” Does the fact that everything we work for – material things – will be passed on to someone else, bother you?
8. Read Ecclesiastes 5:8-20. Consider how wealth and poverty can be misused and meaningless.