"All the labor of man is for his mouth."

I thought that this was an interesting scripture.

Ecclesiastes 6:7(NKJV)

7    All the labor of man is for his mouth,      And yet the soul is not satisfied.

Doesn't that pretty much sum up the reason most people work (labor)?  To feed themselves, keep a roof over their heads, to be able to provide for their families, etc.  "All the labor of man is for his mouth".

"And yet the soul is not satisfied."  Deep inside most people there is a need to connect spiritually.  You see it in just about every culture around the world.

What struck me about this passage today was the thought that we need to "labor" in our quest to know God.  I don't mean that it should be a chore, or boring, or anything like that.  What  I mean is that the more we actually work at our relationship with God, the more we will get out of it.  The more the soul will be satisfied. 

Let me say right up front that this is not meant to be judgmental.  I just want to illustrate a point.

People that just go to church occasionally get a certain amount of "soul satisfaction" out of that.  Now let's compare that to some one who goes to church every week and also spends time in the Bible every day (or most days at least).  Do you think they are likely to experience more "soul satisfaction" than the people that just go to church?  I think most people would probably say yes to that question.  And again let me be clear.  I'm not saying one is better than the other, I'm talking about the amount of "soul satisfaction" of the two groups.

My point is that if you want a really great spiritual life, it takes effort (labor).  Doesn't mean that it can't be enjoyable or fun, or that it has to be all consuming,  just that it takes some extra effort.  It has to be a priority.  You actually need to put it in your schedule.

So as we start this new year, ask yourself if there is anywhere in your spiritual journey you should be focusing some of your labor.  If so then make the adjustments to your schedule to make that happen.  I can promise you two things.  Even if you think you don't have the time, make the adjustment by putting God first and He will solve the time issue for you.  The second promise is that it will be worth it!