The Fall of Carlyle

Just a few verses tonight. I will let you figure out why they are all in my head tonight and how they all fit together within my life and the context of Ecclesiastes.

"For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." Romans 14:23
"Behold, all was vanity and a striving after the wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun." -Ecclesiastes 2:11
"So I hated life..." Ecclesiastes 2:17
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." Matthew 6:33
"Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13
"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" -Mark 8:36
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God." -1 Corinthians 10:31

Okay, I am going to explain each in a sentence or two, because I still feel like typing.
Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Everything under the sun (which means apart from Heaven or God, which is to say anything solely of the world or for the world) is meaningless, vapor, a striving after the wind. So when we seek anything apart from God, then anything, and everything, we do is not only useless, but also sin. And what use is it for us to gain anything we think we want in life if to do so is sin? It is of no use. And so we may look at life and hate it for nothing has any meaning and so often we are led to sin.
But, whatever we do, we can also do to the glory of God. This includes eating or drinking or anything. Things are not intrinsically evil. But our motives for doing them make them so. So living for the glory of God is the cure. Fear God and keep His commandments. Then we will live for His glory. Then we can eat drink and be merry and do so to the glory of God, so that we will not be in sin. And of course the only way to do this is to seek first His kingdom and righteousness.
My mind is on overload. So many strings coming together. I love God. I hate sin. I hate the sin within me. But I love God. And that is enough. He is enough.