ICS Daily Devotions
The Foolishness of Man
Psalm 90:10 (NKJV) The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labour and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
The foolish men that the Bible refers to are those who ignorantly or knowingly choose to live in the deception that life on earth is all there is. While man tends to think only of their time on earth, God has eternity in perspective. Scripture tells us that we may live 70 to 80 years and boast only of our labour, but because it is built on the temporal, it contributes nothing to eternity, nor we bring the earthly rewards with us.
The world tells us to build our identity on our self-worth, which is based on our achievements and status, and dictates to us the kinds of lifestyle and assets we should have. Unfortunately, it doesn’t tell us that life is still empty when we have made it, because it is building our foundation on the sand. This is how we identify ourselves in the “old man”, and sadly, the applause from men will stop one day because the world operates on conditional love, and we have played a part in empowering them.
At every stage of life, we are susceptible to having an identity crisis. Someone who first starts working is ready to prove themselves to the world. Unfortunately, everything that can be achieved by our own strength can also be overtaken by another. Securing the top spot will still make them feel empty and insecure because they don’t know when they’ll be unseated.
Those further down their career path may go through transitions such as redundancy, career stagnation, or starting their own business. Losing their old position of significance can trigger a “mid-life crisis”. Meanwhile, retirees may feel a sudden sense of loss as their responsibilities, title and lifestyle all stop overnight. If it coincides with the empty nest years, their spouse who no longer has children who need their care and support may also feel lost and insignificant, adding further tension to the marriage.
Whatever roles we are in, we can be living out God’s will for our lives, which includes doing well in our job or business, but the focus should be to glorify Him by witnessing for Him in the community where we are placed. That is laying up treasures in heaven and what counts for eternity.
God has given us a superior identity and foundation. Let’s reach out to Him in faith and reconstruct our lives with this identity if necessary, because it will hold us up in the transitions of life, and help us to refocus and pray through what God wants us to do. We can pick ourselves up without being affected by what people think or say because we God is our only audience—this is the wise man that Jesus was referring to.
Sermon Series: He Came to Give You a New Identity
