Have you ever attempted to help someone make positive changes in their life, only to have your efforts be in vain? Have you watched people with character flaws who struggled with them their entire life? Have you ever tried to change one of your unhealthy habits, only to find it far more difficult that you had imagined?
The writer of Ecclesiastes was writing about his search for meaning and truth. He had observed people and came to some harsh conclusions. Perhaps his most biting conclusion was that: people don’t change. If you are crooked, you cannot be made straight. If you struggle with integrity, you will always be vulnerable to being unreliable. If you have a hot temper, you will always have anger issues.
Anyone who has ever worked with people knows what this cynicism is based on! People can seem to change for a while, but inevitably they return to their previous, sinful behavior. Yet Ecclesiastes was also written long before the coming of Christ. He was unaware of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The concept of Christ living out His life in us was foreign to him (Gal. 2:20). It is true, that on our own, it is extremely difficult to change. Our human condition is enslaved to who we are. Praise God Christ intervened into our human condition and offers each person hope for positive change in their life!