The Balanced Life

Text: Various passages

Introduction:

 Things that require a proper balance

 Body: diabetes

 Engine: air and fuel

 Government: balance of powers

 When things get out of balance, problems occur

Proposition: To enjoy life the way God intended we must live balanced lives

Transitional Sentence: Solomon mentions 5 errors that can cause our lives to be out of balance.

  1. Hedonism: Emphasis on Pleasure (2:1-11; 4:13-16; 6:7-9)
    1. Pleasures are empty (2:1-11)
    2. Pleasures are temporary (4:13-16)
    3. Pleasures are deceiving (6:7-9)
  2. Monasticism: Emphasis on Denial (2:24; 3:13; 5:18; 8:15; 9:7)
    1. Key thought of the book is to enjoy life
      1. Book was read at the Feast of Tabernacles
      2. Mentions "eat, drink, and enjoy" 5 times
    2. Balance: Enjoy God’s gifts, don’t abuse them
  3. Materialism: Emphasis on Things (2:7-8; 4:4-6; 5:10-17)

    4. 3 Reasons Things Don’t Satisfy

    1. They are only substitutes
      1. Parents substitute toys for time
      2. People substitute money for Go
      3. You can’t live long on substitutes

      Howard Hughes lived on twinkies

    2. There is never enough

      3. Larry Burkette’s example of couples living on $15,000; $25,000; and $75,000

    3. They have a way of disappearing
  4. Workaholism: Emphasis on Work (2:18-23)
    1. Reasons people become workaholics
      1. Escape problems
      2. Gain more possessions
      3. Boost Self-esteem
    2. Four reasons workaholism does not satisfy
      1. It may be wasted
      2. It may go to one who did not earn it
      3. It carries with it worries and anxieties
      4. While working for the temporal, you may lose the eternal
  5. Atheism: Emphasis on Man
    1. The "under the sun" philosophy apart from God
    2. As the scientific method was elevated, the theory of evolution escalated
    3. Today, atheistic evolution on decline, but pantheistic is on the rise
    4. Christian can practice a form of "practical atheism."

Conclusion:

 Live a balanced life

 Enjoy life the way God meant for it to be enjoyed by serving Him and enjoying His creation

 John 10:10 The "abundant life" comes from having the right perspective and worldview