(A) Introduction

The Teacher is very pessimistic in this chapter. He seems to think it more likely than not that a man will be unhappy. Perhaps in looking at the causes of the Teacher's pessimism we shall discover a route to happiness.

(B) The first route to happiness.

(a) Know what you want.
A man has wealth, possessions, honour, a hundred children and good health but no enjoyment. Now this can only be because the unhappy man has never worked out what he really wants. Perhaps, what he wanted without knowing it was the love and respect of his children. One child that loves you is worth 100 that don't.

The pursuit of happiness is facilitated by having clear and concrete wants. I was talking some time ago to one of my cousins and she said that her sister was unhappy because she didn't know what she wanted. It is all very well Addison saying: The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for; but what to do, who to love and what to hope for? My happy cousin was fortunate: she had her own business, an affectionate husband and two or three holidays abroad each year. She had attained three concrete objectives.

I have just finished reading Anthony Trollope's novel, 'The American Senator.' It is all about the pursuit of happiness. Arabella Trefoil, the impoverished and aging niece of the Duke of Mayfair, knew what would make her happy. She wished to marry a rich nobleman and be a grand lady. The prosperous young farmer, Mr Twentyman, knew he could only be happy if he married Mary Masters and Mary Masters was convinced her happiness depended upon marrying Mr Reginald Morton. Mr Gotobed, the American Senator, would have been happy if he could have persuaded the English of the error of their ways and made them adopt a more reasonable approach to life. There is something to be said for Lord Rufford who was always happy after a good days hunting!

(b) What you want must be attainable.
The Teacher says, Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. v9. What the eye sees is more likely to be an attainable, realistic, goal than what the roving appetite imagines. When I am hungry I could sit at home and imagine the choicest of foods prepared by the finest of chefs in the most exclusive of restaurants or I could remember that I had a tin of baked beans in the cupboard and go into the kitchen and prepare beans on toast for supper. It is easy to work out which strategy would make me happiest.

A lot of people are unhappy because they entertain wants that are quite unattainable. It is no good me sitting here longing to marry a young and glamorous super model. It is not something that is remotely possible. However it would not be beyond the bounds of possibility to secure a wife of some sort. Lots of boys want to become professional footballers. This is a forlorn hope for the great majority. However most youngsters who like the sport will be able to find a team to play for. Playing the game, for the game's sake, makes very, very, many extremely happy.

It is surprising how much happiness is available to us if our wants are numerous but modest. I struggled with a blunt carving knife and an ancient frying pan for years. A new, sharp, high quality, knife and a superior, non-stick, pan made me very happy. We must settle for what is attainable: bulbs blooming in the spring, a walk in the sunshine, a game of scrabble with friends, a good sing, a nice Sunday lunch, a handful of runner beans from the vine, the sight of a mixed flock of waders on the mudflats in winter, a friendly hug ....

(c) Try for what you want.
I met Donna in the corridor and asked her how she was. "I've been getting an old man up all this week," she answered. "He's 98 and keeps asking me to get into bed with him."

I replied along the lines that she should do as he asked and frighten him to death.

Donna was certainly feeling rather low because she snorted and continued, "What do I get out of life. I spend all my time helping people."

So I tried again: "Well Donna, if you were a Christian you would be laying up treasure in heaven."

"Huh!" said Donna, "If God exists why doesn't he make me happy now!"

Donna, like so many of us, wanted something nice to happen to her. Perhaps she suffered from a roving of the appetite fed on a diet of teenage magazines and TV programmes. Doubtless she hoped some gorgeous boy would fall for her and all sorts of romantic adventures would follow. We can wait an awful long time for nice things to happen to us and they never do. I have certainly disproved the truth of the saying, 'Everything comes to he who waits.' Nothing usually comes to he or she who passively waits.

The cousin, mentioned above, also talked to me about her mother, my aunt. She reckoned her mother was an unhappy woman but never did anything about it. My cousin believes that you should get up and go for what you want. So she was not in sympathy with her mother. My aunt shared the view of the Teacher expressed in Eccles6v10to11.

The Teacher is being fatalistic when he writes: Whatever exists has already been named, and what man is has been known. This means that what exists has already been appointed or predetermined and what a man is like has always been known. It is pretty much the same as saying, 'What will be, will be.' My aunt had this same fatalistic outlook and of course it stifled initiative. Such people never sees themselves in control of events but rather as victims of circumstance.

If my uncle railed against one of life's injustices and decided to do what he could about it my aunt's reaction was likely to be, "What's the point." Anyone who whinges, no man can contend with one stronger than he is, is unlikely to act decisively to change an unhappy situation. If we believe God or fate has decided everything then the only thing left is to acknowledge our own helplessness.

I can remember my aunt listening to her husband, as he talked with animation about the ills of society and saying at length, "All this talk doesn't get us anywhere. Discussion, discussion, discussion; all it does is leave me thoroughly confused." She could almost have been quoting Ecclesiastes: The more the words the less the meaning.

My uncle was fundamentally a happy man. He had a positive outlook. He knew what he wanted, he thought it was attainable and he took steps to get it. My aunt was essentially an unhappy woman. She may have known what she wanted but to her it was unattainable and she made no effort to get it. I loved my uncle and my aunt. Perhaps you are surprised that I loved my aunt - but then you see I am very like her.

(d) Get what you want.

There is little doubt that those who get what they want are happy. I have just been looking at the website, 'Friendsreunited.com.' It is interesting to see what has become of former pupils. I read the comments of one dark haired beauty who now lives in California. She has a wonderful husband, a good job and two lovely teenage children. Anna wrote, "I am very happy."

Unfortunately not everybody gets what they want. They may know what will make them happy, it seems attainable and they go for it - but they do not achieve their objective. Let us return to Trollope's novel, 'The American Senator.' Arabella Trefoil made a stupendous effort to inveigle Lord Rufford into marriage - but she failed. I think Trollope took pity on the spirited Arabella because she did manage a marriage with a fairly compatible diplomat called Mouncer Green. Mr Gotobed left England to return to the USA a sadly disillusioned man because he signally failed in his aim, pursued with such commendable vigour, to persuade the English of the error of their ways. Mr Twentyman, who to my surprise Trollope called the hero of the book, never won the love of Mary Masters. He was manly, red blooded, hard working, honest, devoted, loyal and universally admired. He deserved to win the girl he loved. He failed and Mr Twentyman was almost physically ill with disappointment. Mr Reginald Morton came into a rich inheritance and ended up marrying Mary Masters the girl he adored without really trying. He was a rather grey, diffident, self-serving and insipid individual who least deserved happiness but he was the one upon whom it was bestowed. Therein lies the rub!

It is very hard to be happy if you receive little human love. During the final years of my teaching career I used to get a little warm affection from some of my pupils. I miss it now. Last week my brother brought a minibus full of West Indian ladies to tea from his London church. I got a lot of hugs and kisses - it cheered me up! Later in the week I attended the wedding of an old pupil. Several of my former students were present and it made me happy to be made a fuss of!

It is hard to be happy if there is no demand for the work you believe you can do best. It is not enough to work - you need to know it is valued. I spend a lot of time writing for this website but to date I have no idea if anyone values it. It is hard to be happy if in life there are not some good things to hope for. As I get older and my powers wane there is less and less to look forward to.

(C) Is there another way?

One day I was talking to my blond haired friend, Victoria, and she said, "Fight for what you want, Mr Reed." She was telling me to be ruthless in my own interests. I think Victoria has fought for what she wants and is probably happier now than I am. However, I am very uneasy about following her advice. The Teacher does write something significant at the end of the chapter: For who knows what is good for a man in this life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone.

God must know what is good for a man in life. We may not know what is good for ourselves but God does. Jesus taught that there are blessings and rewards for being the person God wants. In other words the Gospels teach the importance of being and not, getting. The humble hearted belong to God's kingdom; those that mourn God's absence are found by him; there is strength in submissiveness; there is satisfaction in doing good; the kind are treated kindly; God does not hide himself from men of integrity; helping others to succeed is the way to a personal sense of well being; suffering persecution for living righteously is the hallmark of the godly man. See Series on the Beatitudes.

This is not an easy way to happiness. It is hard to be humble hearted. However, the humble hearted are happier than the person who is always striving for recognition and status. When I accept that God has placed me where I am and has given me a job to do that only I can do, I am a lot happier than when fretting about lack of recognition. There are still people that I can help - and helping them helps me. It does give satisfaction and contentment. God is no man's debtor and from time to time the Holy Spirit reassures me of a Saviour's love.

It is not an easy way - but it is a way to happiness all Christians can go with a guaranteed measure of success. We cannot all be greatly loved but we can accept God's will for us. We are not all going to be valued for the work we do - but we can all be kind and helpful to others. Life may not hold out many lovely future surprises but if we serve Jesus with integrity a day is coming when he will reward us as one of his very own.

The Christian has to go the way that God wants. Jesus said, I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. John5v30. The way Jesus went was of God's choosing. He had to endure the cross, despising the shame for the joy that was set before him.

Jesus was not ruthless in his own interests but in the interests of God the Father. This did not always make him happy! John writes: He came to that which was his own but his own did not receive him. John1v11. Jesus was not recognised for whom he was: The true light that gives light to every man. John1v9. He was not happy as he rode into Jerusalem. Jesus wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes. Jesus was not happy in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke writes: And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Jesus was not happy on the cross. He did not shout for joy: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me." Mt27v45.

The way Jesus went did not produce unalloyed happiness for him but it did produce future benefits for others. When I was a student at University College, London I lodged with my grandmother in Richmond. She attended Salem Grace Baptist Church where Bob Smith was the minister. So I went to church with my grandmother. There wasn't another young person in sight! Just down the road was the large, well attended, Duke Street Baptist Church. It was thronging with young people. It would have been in my best interests to attend the Duke Street fellowship. I might have met a sweet Christian girl and married, thrown in my lot with the Baptist Union, enjoyed a preaching ministry in a denomination nearer to my own doctrinal position and been happier than I am now. However, I think I did what God wanted! The choices I made led me home to care for my parents and the church my father pastored. I hope the road I have taken has been of some small benefit to others.

The Teacher did not know what would happen to him after he was gone. Jesus did know. He knew that he would be raised up, ascend to the right hand of his Father in heaven and, seated there, would see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. He endured the cross, despising the shame for the joy set before him. Christians, too, should be able to bear with some unhappiness in this life for the joy set before them. Paul says when he writes from prison in some little distress to Timothy: Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
if we endure,
we will also reign with him. 2Tim2v11and12.

He also wrote, and they must be some of the very last words he did write: The Lord...... will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 2Tim4v18.

(I have not found this exposition easy to write. I know the truth of Paul's sentiments but I am not without some sympathy for Donna when she said, "Huh! If God exists why doesn't he make me happy now.")