By Ife J. Ibitayo
Last week’s summer orientation flew by. Most days were jam-packed with at least eight hours of programming. And when evening rolled around, there were countless places to swing by: a multitude of bars, a jazz concert, and even a chicken and beer festival. But I did not go to any of them. Even this past Saturday, one of the most stressful aspects of my morning was deciding whether or not I’d go with friends to a farmer’s market on Sunday!
No Time
I’ve only been in Los Angeles for a couple weeks. And I have a seemingly endless list of important tasks I still need to finish: registering my car, setting up appointments and phone calls, even sorting out a mistaken parking ticket I received. And as the perennial busy beaver, it’s very hard for me to relax when work remains to be done.
No One
But in the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon makes an invaluable point with this allegory, “There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. ‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked, ‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’ This too is meaningless—a miserable business! Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).
A truth I will continually have to remind myself during my time here (and throughout the rest of my life) is that relationships are the end for which all hard work should point. There will always be more tasks and more assignments. So if I don’t learn how to socialize now, I might just find that when I finally have the time to, I won’t have anyone to socialize with!
Conclusion
Toward the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon goes on to say, “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do” (Ecclesiastes 9:7). When we do choose to eat or drink, God approves of our enjoyment. So we should never let the business of life keep us from enjoying life itself.
“So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.”
(Ecclesiastes 8:15)