The idea of thinking "outside the box" is nothing new. This was what the wisest man in history gave his life to. In Ecclesiastes 1:12-13, he said, "I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven." So, did he find this pursuit fulfilling? Sadly, no. In fact, in verses 13 - 14 he said, "It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with..., and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind."
Let me ask you, did God give Solomon wisdom so that he can undertake the grievous task to understand everything under the sun? No! God gave him wisdom because Solomon said he wanted to lead Israel in the right way for the Lord. I find Ecclesiastes to be one of the saddest books in the Bible. Because in spite of his great riches and wisdom, Solomon found his life as one without meaning.
And yet, at the end of Ecclesiastes, in chapter 12:13, he had an important realization, he said, "The conclusion is: fear God and keep His commandments because this applies to every person." At that point, Solomon made a conclusion that his father David knew all his life -- from the time he challenged Goliath as a young shepherd up till the time he passed on his throne to Solomon when he was about to die.
I hope none of us will commit the mistake Solomon made. Let us not use our wisdom to challenge God's ways, but instead, use it to live out the conclusion Solomon made -- that we should live our lives fearing the Lord and keeping his commandments. Therefore, let us choose to always think inside the box called the Bible, so that we may live our lives to the full, as David did.
