WHAT NEXT?

WHAT NEXT?

Butch Reynolds, an American Athlete was born in 1964.

As a young boy, he had a dream: to win a gold medal in the Olympics.

He trained hard, he conditioned his body and mind to the strict training regiment of world class athletes.

His lifestyle and diet were tailored to achieving his dream.

He was very focused on the goal: NO DISTRACTIONS!

He entered for National Athletics Meets and Competitions. He strove and pushed himself to his limit.

With time, he started gaining National recognition.

And in 1988, he made the US Team to the Seoul Olympics in South Korea.

He competed in the 400m race, both the sprint and the relay.

He won a gold medal in one and a silver medal in the other.

At age 24, he had fulfilled his life long ambition!

I listened to him talk about his life and he said: “I looked at the medals and I wondered, WHAT NEXT?”

He never saw beyond the Olympics.

All his life for the past 10 years had been planned towards winning an Olympics Gold Medal. Now that he had won it, he had no idea what next to do with his life.

It was then he realized he had set the bar too low for himself! He never expected he would achieve his life long ambition so early in his career.

He went on to win several other medals in his career, but that early win reshaped his mind about setting goals.

King Solomon also had the “WHAT NEXT?” situation at some point. He wrote:

“I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly -my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

Ecclesiastes 2:3-11.

King Solomon was very rich, the richest man that ever lived on this planet, Scripture says. He had so much money than he knew what to do with it. So he went on a spending spree.

“I want to build the best palace on the planet!”

He did. And after that, he’d wonder: “WHAT NEXT?”

“I want to build the greatest infrastructure on the planet!”

He did. And after that, he’d wonder: “WHAT NEXT?”

“I want to have a wife from every country and nation on the planet!”

He did. And after that, he’d wonder: “WHAT NEXT?”

“I want to live well, eat the best food and the choicest wines!”

He did. And after that, he’d wonder: “WHAT NEXT?”

At the end of the day, King Solomon came to a strange conclusion:

“...All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

Ecclesiastes 2:17

In other words, “IT’S NOT WORTH IT!” Solomon came to this conclusion after he experience all the pleasures of life. The wisest AND richest man made this submission!

So, what IS worth it? What is worth pursuing? What is worth spending our lives chasing? What is worth spending our time on this planet seeking?

Same King Solomon (after running after the pleasures of life and concluding it was NOT worth it) gave an advice on what IS worth pursuing, what is worth spending our time seeking:

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13.

Living for God IS a duty, folks. It is the only thing worth it, the only way to live right, the only way that has eternal reward, the only lifestyle that continues after death.

Don’t settle for anything less: that will be setting the bar too low, like Butch Reynolds discovered after his Olympics feat in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea…

Shalom,

Haruna Daniels