By Because God is not limited or defined in any way by the physical creation, He offers a perspective on created life that is utterly unique. He offers a perspective that enjoys the good things without being naive about the bad things. He offers a perspective that encourages valid expectations without resulting in inevitable disappointments. He offers a perspective that stimulates us to great achievements without being mastered by them.
In Ecclesiastes 3:12-14 God offers us His perspectives on this life as experimented on by the wise King Solomon.
I perceived that there is nothing better for them than
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 (reformatted)
1) to be joyful and
2) to do good as long as they live;
also that everyone should
3) eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil
—this is God’s gift to man.
In other words, a good life in a bad world comes to the one
- who is generally cheerful and optimistic,
- who is good-natured until old age even, and
- who gratefully enjoys the good gifts of life.
As Christians we know the serious sinful peril that the world is in better than they do, but because we also know the God Whose purposes never fail, we can indeed be generally cheerful and optimistic. As Christians we know the commandment to love God and neighbour applies in all circumstances, so we can be a little more good-willed to others and not think first of our own perceived rights and expectations. As Christians we know that all the evil in this bad world is exclusively the contributions of sinners not unlike ourselves, but in contrast all the good in life is exclusively the work of God, and so we can eat a good meal at the end of a bad day, we can have a refreshing drink during troubled times, and we can experience the pleasurable side of hard work.
Be a little less grumpy, pessimistic, and critical of all things, and learn to wake up with a smile and go to sleep with a smile simply because you know God is going to turn even the bad things of that day into good one day (Gen 50:20).
Do a little more good today. Show kindness to the undeserving, do a good deed in response to an evil deed, be courteous to everyone around you. After all, you know that God gives grace to the humble, but opposes the proud (Jam 4:6).
Be a little more thankful, acknowledging not only the evil and sinfulness of this world, but also the goodness and kindness of God. Know that God is good, that He does good, and that even some affliction is good for you (Ps 119: 68, 71)