Vain! Futile! Meaningless! Absurd! Ridiculous! Empty! Pointless! Worthless! Useless! Hopeless!
Have you ever used any of these words to describe your life? Or your job? Or yourself?
If so, you’re in good company. King Solomon, considered one of the wisest men who ever lived, had some of the same feelings. You do realize, don’t you, that he was a monarch, celebrated for his wisdom, Israel’s wealthiest king ever, and internationally popular? With 700 wives and 300 concubines, he was surely never lonely.
Wait – don’t say it! I realize that 1000 spouses could be the very definition of loneliness. But Solomon also wrote the Bible book “Song of Solomon” about his relationship with the love of his life. The story is sweet and tender. So Solomon, as king, had 1,000 women at his beck and call. He could have a different woman every night. Or he could ignore the other 999 and simply enjoy his one, true love.
Here’s how Solomon worded his plight, “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1:2, KJV
So what was this uber-wise, stinkin’ rich, globally-popular king griping about?
Nothing New Under the Sun
Well, I guess he was just bemoaning the human condition. In spite of all his advantages, Solomon wanted to know, “What’s it all about, Alfie?” Who am I? What am I here for? What’s the purpose of life? Does life even have meaning? Where am I going, and how will I know when I get there?
Solomon asked these questions because he was human, same as you and me. He looked around and saw that nothing ever changed. The sun rose and set every day. The wind blew north, then south. The rivers flowed to the sea, but the sea was never full. “All things are wearisome,” he complained, “more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:8–9, NIV
So, if things are going to just go on and on, day after day, same as they’ve gone on for years and decades and centuries and millennia, what’s the point? What’s the purpose of MY life?
The Search Is On
The book of Ecclesiastes is the chronicle of Solomon’s search for meaning. He considered and discarded each of the following as a worthy foundation of a meaningful life: wisdom, pleasure, work, power, and wealth.
So what about you? What do you believe makes life meaningful and gives it purpose in today’s world?
Does Your Job Give Your Life Meaning? Should It?
The book of Ecclesiastes may have been written centuries ago, but its wisdom is relevant in today’s digital society. We live in an age where we are always “on,” always connected, always striving for more. This constant hustle often results in stress, anxiety, and a sense of dissatisfaction. Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 2:11 resonate with the modern experience: “Then I looked at all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.”
Social media, a hallmark of our era, often promotes a culture of comparison. We strive to offer perfect images of our lives, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and discontentment. Solomon’s words “And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another” (Ecclesiastes 4:4), hold a mirror to this modern malady.
We need to quit comparing ourselves. And we must understand that wealth is not an ultimate solution. Plenty of filthy-rich people have committed suicide. So, don’t base your sense of self-worth and meaning on finding the job that will make you rich.
The fact is that part of your job (any job) is to find pleasure in your work. Focus on the good things about your job and don’t let the negatives consume you. If you absolutely cannot find anything good about your job, maybe you should quietly look around for a way to change jobs. Or take some courses online in the evening to train yourself for your “dream job.”
Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:13 that finding satisfaction in your work is a gift of God. Look to Him for guidance. Ask Him to show you how to find satisfaction in your work. And, always, we can thank Him for giving us a job to support ourselves and our families.
Are You Inward Bound or Outward Bound?
I’m sure you know what happens to a pond that only receives water and never releases any. It begins to stagnate. It stinks. It becomes repulsive.
People are the same way. Those who are completely self-involved, having no interest in the concerns of others, stagnate. They stink and become repulsive. They are the ones who must feel most deeply a sense of vanity, futility, and hopelessness.
So, if your life feels stale or useless or empty, check your flow. If your whole focus is on getting what you want, you may be headed for stagnation. You can brighten your world by forgetting yourself and finding ways to help other people, or animals, or a weedy patch of nature.
Finding Joy in the Journey
In a world that constantly tells us we need more to be happy, Ecclesiastes is a beacon of truth, guiding us towards the ultimate purpose of life – finding joy and fulfillment in our Creator. Through Solomon’s reflections on his own pursuit of happiness, we are reminded that true contentment comes not from what we achieve or possess but from the relationships we nurture, the moments we savor, and the impact we make on others.
Ecclesiastes teaches us to look beyond the temporary and fleeting pleasures of this world and find contentment in the eternal and meaningful aspects of life. It reminds us that true happiness is found not in the attainment of things but in the appreciation of life’s simple gifts. And most importantly, it guides us towards a life filled with joy, purpose, and fulfillment.
Remembering Our Creator: The Ultimate Source of Happiness
In all its reflections on the fleeting nature of worldly pursuits, Ecclesiastes also reminds us of the one constant in life – our Creator. While everything else may be a “chasing after the wind,” God remains unchanged, steadfast, and ever-present. As Solomon writes, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart;” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This recognition of God’s loving presence helps us find perspective and purpose in the midst of life’s constant changes.
As Ecclesiastes teaches us, true contentment comes from fearing God and keeping His commandments. This reverence for God helps us focus on what truly matters and find fulfillment in living a life aligned with His will.
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