In The Message, Eugene Peterson sticks closer to the literal meaning: “Smoke!  Smoke!” says the Quester.  “Nothing but smoke!  It’s all smoke!”

Sometimes the Teacher calls the good things in life—work, pleasure, money, friendship—“gifts” (3:13).  Sometimes he refers to them as “burdens” (3:10).  Either way, if the gifts or burdens become the point of life, we are left asking ourselves, “What’s the point?”  The meaningless or emptiness we feel in one area may send us looking elsewhere for meaning and substance.

For example, if a husband and wife are not getting along and are at odds with each other, he may spend more time at the office burying himself in work.  That way he is able to avoid her (a source of disappointment) while pursuing something that he thinks will satisfy him (achievement).  Achievement may not do it either, so he might turn to the physical and emotional thrill of pornography, thinking that this secret pleasure will fill the empty spot.  He does this, however, while remaining buried in work pursuing achievement. 

Meanwhile, the wife might spend extra time with “the girls,” attempting to fill the emptiness in a ladies’ night out circle of friends.  Or she too might try to achieve more, attempting to become Super Mom.  When this turns out to be smoke, she tries to light a fire in the shopping mall, treating herself to a new summer wardrobe and more frequent beautification of her nails, face, and hair.

Now, the things that each of these desperate people do to satisfy are not of themselves bad.  We must remember that in their purest forms marriage, sex, children, friendships, work, and possessions are gifts given by God for our enjoyment and His glory (and joy).  It’s just that these things are not the ultimate givers of joy and satisfaction and meaning.  God is.  And when we are being filled by and with God—connected to Him, pursuing Him, growing more in love with Him—we somehow find ourselves experiencing joy and satisfaction and meaning despite our circumstances, rather than because of them.  And when the Giver is the substance, the gifts don't seem so empty, so smoky.    

In Ecclesiastes we learn that if the gifts become our life’s ambition more so than the Giver, we have missed the point, and most often enjoy neither.   

1. God rested on the seventh day and enjoyed what He had accomplished on the previous six days (Genesis 2:1-3).  God's rest was not from being worn to a frazzle; He spoke creation into existence.  He stopped, took the world in, delighted in it.  I can hear Him say, "Ahhhh!"

2. God commanded Sabbath for Israel (Exodus 20:8-12; Deuteronomy 5:12-15).  Sabbath was a set-apart day for a set-apart people.  Everyone and everything stopped to rest--men and women, slaves, refugees, and animals.  In God's kingdom, all of creation rests, just as He did.   

3. Jesus kept the Sabbath, which was one of the ways (along with solitude) that He practiced slowing down and pulling over (Luke 4:16).  Jesus observed the Sabbath, but also restored God's intent for the day by dispensing mercy and setting people free (Matthew 12:1-14; Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-6; John 5:1-7; 9:1-41).  The Sabbath was observed in the early church, as well, and provided the apostles with an important venue in which they could preach about Jesus, because the Jews gathered in the synagogues on the Sabbath to hear Scripture read and explained (Acts 13:14, 44; 16:13; 17:3-4; 18:4).

4. We need to stop and rest.  One of the literal ways to translate Sabbath is "stop."  It is a day to stop doing regular work.  While Sabbath observance is not commanded in the New Testament and special days must be evaluated by each believer (Romans 14:5-6), there are solid, reasons why a Sabbath is important for followers of Jesus, if not necessary for deep transformation into His likeness.

• Sabbath reminds us that God is God and we are not.  The world turns by God's loving, sustaining work, not ours.
• Sabbath keeps us rooted in God's grace in creation and new creation.  We rest in His accomplishment on our behalf, which we receive freely because He loves us.  We are not valuable because of what we accomplish, but because we are God's.
• Sabbath allows us to participate in something God and Jesus did.  This alone is reason enough to keep the Sabbath.
• Sabbath renews and re-energizes us so that we can be more like God, more productive, and more creative.  Lynne Baab is right, "Seven full days makes one weak."  So, people that claim to be too busy or who are afraid they will get less done must learn to trust God's wisdom through Sabbath.  He made the day for Himself and for us.
• Sabbath creates space and time for God to do deep work within our souls.  Transformation into the image of Jesus takes time and Sabbath provides it.

How do we practice Sabbath? 

WHEN: Sabbath does not have to be Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath day).  Choose a day that works well for your family.  If schedules do not allow everyone to "stop" regular work on the same day, choose days that work for each of you.  Consider beginning with the day you have off already (which for most people is Saturday).  I believe this is one of the ways we exercise freedom in Christ while keeping God's intention behind the command. 

HOW:  What do we cease from doing and what should we do on a sabbath?

1. Stop doing your regular work; that is, cease from doing the work that you normally do to earn an income or that is your daily work, even if you do not earn an income for it.  Stay-at-home moms and dads, retirees, students, home-bound, and the unemployed need a day to do something renewing and restful. 

2. Baab recommends doing nothing that would appear on your "to do" list.  One woman in the book said, "If an activity feels like something I 'have to do,' I try to do it on other days.  If an activity feels like something I 'get to do,' then it's a candidate for the sabbath."

3. Avoid activities that make you hurry or increase your stress.  Sabbath is a way to slow down and pull over.

4. Begin your personal or family sabbath with a prayer, blessing, or Scripture.

5.Read, especially portions of Scripture, but also other books that you enjoy or help you relax.

6. Rest.  Sit, nap, or relax.  Imagine and dream.  Reflect on the previous week and give it to God.  In what ways

7. Enjoy creation (this is what God did on the Sabbath).  Enjoy the outdoors--hiking, canoeing, or fishing.  For some, gardening is not work or an item on the "to do" list, but enjoyment. 

8. Worship.  Some of you will practice Sabbath from Saturday evening to Sunday evening.  View worship as a part of your sabbath to celebrate God's work in your life and in the world.

9. Spend time in relationship, especially with family, but also with friends.  Use mealtimes to share food, laughter, and conversation.  Eat, walk, talk, read, and...

10. Play.  Yes, play.  Laugh.  Let God enjoy seeing you, with others, live in His freedom and love and community.  Surely God is the Creator of play, laughter, and humor.

In his December 2008 Christianity Today article, "Scrooge Lives", Rob Moll notes that this attitude leads people to give in much the same way that they spend: "haphazardly and without intention."  Some give "only when the urge strikes."  It is hard to be cheerful or to be struck with the urge to give if a person feels financially strapped.  Even if there is a little money left over at the end of the week or month, some are reluctant to give it, afraid that something may come up that would require the money.  Since God doesn't want people to give "reluctantly," they reason that they are better off not giving.  Instead we wait for the time when we will have plenty to give, when we have leftovers, so that we can give cheerfully.  

There a several issues in this line of thinking that need to be addressed (such as creating an intentional spending plan that puts giving at the top of my budget list, something Dave Ramsey rightly insists on), but I want to suggest that consistent giving--holy-habit giving--is joy-producing rather than joy-stifling.  God's commands for tithes, offerings, and firstfruits in the Old Testament ensured that people would do the very thing they were created to do--acknowledge Him as the source of life and enjoy it on His terms, which are always the best terms.  Tithes, offerings, and firstfruits were built into the rhythm and routine of life for Israel, and joyful celebration and feasting at harvest time was a part of this (Deuteronomy 26:1-15). 

There is great joy in giving God our firstfruits rather than our leftovers.  God is the greatest Treasure, the one worth selling everything for, and therefore the one worthy of everything I have.  He is our Best and is worthy of our best.  He is First and is worthy of our firsts.  He is the Life-Giver and is worthy to have my whole life--money and all--returned to Him cheerfully.  He is our Love and the One to whom we love to give.  The holy habit of generosity is a primary way that I show I believe this.