Everything is Meaningless
King Solomon is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. Solomon's wealth and wisdom were greater than anyone's in history. If King Solomon lived today he would be the equivalent of a 4 time, undefeated national champion going on to win multiple Olympic titles, while remaining undefeated and on top of that he would be the owner of Microsoft, Apple, and Google, and he would be married to the most beautiful woman in the world. In other words King Solomon "had it all". There is nothing he could have done to make himself more successful. He had achieved ultimate success.
The thing that makes Solomon so credible is, not only the fact that he had everything one could possibly have, he was also gifted by God with wisdom and understanding that exceeded anyone else in the world. His wisdom was known throughout the land and people would travel great distances just to hear Solomon's wisdom.
In Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 Solomon says "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."
Why does Solomon call everything he did meaningless? What if Kyle Dake or Logan Stieber won their fourth national title and said "yeah, that was all meaningless, nothing but chasing after the wind"? People all around would call them crazy! Yet, the wisest man in history accomplished far more than Logan Stieber or Kyle Dake or anyone else in history for that matter, and he said "it's all meaningless". Something doesn't add up.
I am, in no way, suggesting that we go through life without trying to achieve great things, like winning national titles, getting good jobs, or creating beautiful things. I am proposing, however, that without a higher purpose in life, all of our earthly accomplishments will ultimately lead to emptiness.
Later in Ecclesiastes chapter 2 verses 24-25 Solomon says "A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?" Through all of his experiences and wisdom, Solomon discovered that a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe is the only thing that could give life meaning.
Apart from God, everything we do is meaningless, no more than chasing after the wind.
The thing that makes Solomon so credible is, not only the fact that he had everything one could possibly have, he was also gifted by God with wisdom and understanding that exceeded anyone else in the world. His wisdom was known throughout the land and people would travel great distances just to hear Solomon's wisdom.
In Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 Solomon says "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."
Why does Solomon call everything he did meaningless? What if Kyle Dake or Logan Stieber won their fourth national title and said "yeah, that was all meaningless, nothing but chasing after the wind"? People all around would call them crazy! Yet, the wisest man in history accomplished far more than Logan Stieber or Kyle Dake or anyone else in history for that matter, and he said "it's all meaningless". Something doesn't add up.
I am, in no way, suggesting that we go through life without trying to achieve great things, like winning national titles, getting good jobs, or creating beautiful things. I am proposing, however, that without a higher purpose in life, all of our earthly accomplishments will ultimately lead to emptiness.
Later in Ecclesiastes chapter 2 verses 24-25 Solomon says "A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?" Through all of his experiences and wisdom, Solomon discovered that a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe is the only thing that could give life meaning.
Apart from God, everything we do is meaningless, no more than chasing after the wind.
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