a. God is worthy of our praise. For example, when we look at God's creation, say, a majestic mountain, we simply stand in awe of its Creator. b. Praising God changes our perspective in life. Instead of being ‘engrossed with our problems, we realize God is in control and we look at things through God's eyes. « 3. Whois to praise God? (vv. 20-22) REFLECTION: Am Ione of these? If so, am I living a life of praise and thanks? 4, How do we learn to live a life of praise and thanks? (Every day, think of three different things for which we can say, “Lord, I praise you and thank you for..” When we do this regu- larly, we will live a life of praise and thanks.) ‘CONCLUSION ‘The Lord is certainly worthy of our praise. We need to be constantly aware of two things: who we are and who He is. Then our hearts will burst forth with praise and thanks for our great and loving God! NOTE: Elizabeth Uong and Delia Yu contributed to the preparation of this lesson. 106 35 RICHES: GOOD OR BAD? Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 Isit good or bad to be rich? People have wrestled with this question since time immemorial. Let us learn today from someone who may have been ‘one of the richest and wisest of all men — Solomon. DISCUSSION A. The Wrong Approach To Riches (vv. 10-17) 1 4 What is the attitude towards money that we should beware of? (v. 10) (Love of money... longing to be rich.) b. Cite examples to illustrate that "those who love money are those whose money is never enough.” (A person starts out in business, hoping to earn P100,000. ‘After earning P100,000, he says he will be satisfied if he earns 1,000,000. But after he earns P1,000,000, he is still not sais- fied and wants to earn P10,000,000.) Why do people love money? ‘a. Some love it because of the things money buys for them. . Some think it will give them security. c. Some think it will give them power/position /friends. a V. 11 notes another aspect of increasing wealth. It can be para- phrased as “The more people earn, the more people tend to spend.” Cite examples from our life to illustrate this. (As our income level goes up, very often our spending habits also go up. New clothes, new appliances, etc. We never seem to have enough money to spend.) a. V,12 speaks about getting a good night's sleep - that is, peace of mind. Why is it that a working man can get a good night's sleep while a rich man cannot? What are the worries of a rich man? 1) That his wealth may be stolen. 2). That his life may even be endangered when people try to steal his wealth. 1075 6 3) That his bank may collapse. 4) That his wealth may be reduced through devaluation and inflation. 5) That his business may fail 0 b. Is it possible to be a rich man and yet get a good night's sleep? How? (fa rich man is not obsessed with his riches; if he looks at himself as a steward of God managing the riches God has entrusted to him, he can have peace of mind.) Wy. 13-17 a. What is the main idea in this section? (The vanity or emptiness of riches.) b. Since we cannot take anything with us when we die, why do people strive so hard to gain riches? ¢. Whatare the negative effects on us when we strive so hard to gain riches? (v.17) Cite examples from our lives to show this. REFLECTION: a. How important is it for me that I become rich? b. Dol worry about money matters? B, The Right Approach To Riches (vv. 18-20) Whats the main thought in this section? (That wealth and possessions are gifts from God for us to enjoy.) Contrast a person who has this approach to money with a person ‘who loves money (as in vv. 10-17), Let us see how this difference in approach affects both. a. How does it affect a person's ability to enjoy what he has? (wv. 11, 17-19) (Before, he was aslave to riches. Now, since he views them as a gift of God, he enjoys them with a grateful heart.) Give ‘examples of proper ways to enjoy wealth. When does enjoy- ing wealth become improper? Give examples. b. How does it affect a person's ability to have peace of mind? (wv. 12, 17, 19) c. How does it affect a person's attitude towards God? (wv. 19, 20) (A person who considers wealth as a gift of God will always havea thankful heart and grateful attitude towards God [vv. 108 19, 20), A person who loves money tends to murmu p murmur and blame God if his wealth is stolen or if he suffers business reverses.) 3. Aside from the differences mentioned in the passage, let u what other effects there are on people who hae these to ifn ‘ent approaches to wealth. a. How does it affect a person's use of m (A person who considers wealth as a gift of God will be more responsible in how he spends money, because he isa steward of God's gift tohim. And since itis God's money, he will want to shareiit with others too, because God loves the needy. Buta Person who loves money usually spends it on himself. Mor=- over, because he considers it "his" money, he may splurge or spend iton luxuries without feeling itis wrong, He might be stingy when it comes to contributions or helping others.) . Cite references from the Bible to support the statement that we should share our wealth with the needy. 4. But if we consider wealth asa gift of God and are contented with a have, will it not cause us to stagnate and not progress? (We should be contented, and yet work hard. We work hard not because we want more, but because we are stewards of God, and we want to help build God's kingdom. We want to earn more so ‘we can share more with others who need it. So there will still be progress.) Share your experiences on this. 5. REFLECTION: Do I really look at wealth and possessions as gifts from God? ne ee CONCLUSION Ril iho shiney shee al Ele eo Being rich in itself in neither good or bad. It is our attitude towards it that makes all the difference. May we all learn to enjoy it as a gift from God, and be filled with gratefulness and thanks, NOTE: Elizabeth Uong and Delia Yu contributed to the preparation ofthis lesson. 109