Everything is Meaningless

Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless! What does man gain from all his labor under the sun? (See Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 NIV). I thought in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless (Ecclesiastes 2:1 NIV).

What do I gain by being wise? I said in my heart, “This too is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 2:15 NIV). Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV).

Nothing New Under the Sun

These verses are widely attributed to Solomon, who also said there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV). All of these sayings are just as true today as they were when he wrote them. Times have changed, but our hearts haven’t. We still long to find meaning in our lives, but many times feel unfulfilled.

Solomon sought meaning in labor, pleasure, wisdom, and wealth. Now look at what we seek meaning in today. Does it sound familiar? We strive to find fulfillment in the same things.

Is There Fulfillment in Happiness?

We live in a fast-paced world where there is always something new happening, and people are constantly looking for the next big thing. We move quickly from one thing to another. Much of this is an attempt to find happiness because we feel that happiness will give us fulfillment.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be happy. We all long to be happy. But where do we find that happiness, and why do so many of us remain unhappy no matter how much we have or how much we do? Why is it that so many people still don’t feel fulfilled? We might be feeding our minds and our bodies, but we are neglecting our souls.

A New Direction

Nothing fills this void because we are looking for fulfillment in the wrong places. The things we often seek fulfillment in are only temporary and fleeting, but we were made with eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV). This is why we’re always looking for something else.

We need a new direction. The direction is up. We need to set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2). It’s easy to travel in the wrong direction because the road is broad and many people are on it. We feel this must be the way to go because everybody is headed that way.

There is another road. It’s narrow, but it leads to life (See Matthew 7:13-14). This new direction will feed our souls and show us the meaning and fulfillment in life. We will be living for someone greater than ourselves. Jesus. We need to fix our eyes on Him (Hebrews 12:2), because He is the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Jesus is the new direction we need.

A New Beginning

With this new direction comes something even greater, because turning in the direction of Christ gives us the opportunity to have a new beginning in our lives. We can start from where we are. We don’t have to reenter the womb to be born again (John 3:4). We haven’t thrown our lives away. If we are in Christ, the new creation has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Solomon’s Lesson

Solomon was seeking the meaning of this life in things that were under the sun, and the same thing happens to us today. Solomon concluded that true meaning and contentment are found only when we turn toward God. He found that the meaning of life is to fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Everything under the sun will find its ultimate meaning through Him.

Even as Christians, we sometimes get our priorities wrong and fall victim to the allure of wealth and possessions. We must always guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7-8), making sure He is at the center of our lives in everything we do.

This doesn’t mean we aren’t supposed to enjoy God’s creation or our time in it. This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24). We just need to include God in it.

It also doesn’t mean that everything in God’s creation is meaningless. Everything created by God is good (1 Timothy 4:4). Everything has a purpose. Our purpose is to look at the creation, see the Creator, and praise Him.

Without God everything is meaningless because everything, including our lives on earth, is temporary. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8). With God we have everything, even if we have nothing. We would have nothing without Him and so He is worthy of our praise.

With God we don’t have to rely on external factors for happiness and fulfillment. God doesn’t promise us that we will always be happy, but we’ll be complete because we will have the fulfillment that comes from knowing the One from whom every good and perfect gift comes (James 1:17).

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