Is there Meaning in Life?

One puzzling statement in the whole Bible is the refrain, “Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” Or in some translations, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." Of course, we can’t take this statement absolutely. Otherwise, everything we say, including the previous statements and the ones that follow, will be nonsense.

The one who uttered these words on vanity identifies himself as ‘the Preacher’ or ‘Qoheleth.’ He also calls himself ‘the son of David’ (Ecc. 1:1). In the book of Ecclesiastes, where this refrain occurs some 35 times, the Preacher observes everything one can observe and experience in this world.

The Preacher talks about all kinds of things under the sun. From sunrise to sunset, birth to death, summer to fall, winter to spring, in war and in peace, sickness and health, poverty and riches, foolishness and wisdom, failure and success, pain and pleasure, in everything, the Preacher’s observation is that, on their own, these things mean nothing. They are like cycle that repeats itself… "a chasing after the wind." All of life is meaningless, useless, hollow, vain on its own.

However, at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher concludes that all these things are meaningful and beautiful only when they are viewed through the eyes of the One who created them, that is, God.

God has His own reason and purpose for everything, including war and suffering, poverty and prosperity, even the birth or death of a loved one. Only through the perspective of God, through the lens of His Word, is life worthwhile!

We may not know God’s purpose for our life of pain or failure now. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s no good reason for the things that happen to us or around us. There is! But they are known only to God.

Is God unfair then? May it never be! God may choose to keep it from us. But there are things that He reveals to us as human beings that we should do in order that our lives may be meaningful.

This is the Preacher’s conclusion of the whole matter. He says, “…Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecc. 12:13-14).

Fearing God in a good sense is the beginning of wisdom. “The Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them” (Ps. 25:14). Keeping God’s commandments is the result of fearing Him. The fear of the Lord leads to obedience to His will. Without the fear of the Lord, life is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Many people have lived and died in this world. But none has ever surpassed the influence of One man, both His preceding and succeeding generations. He exemplified the life of loving reverence and obedience to God. He is the man Christ Jesus. He is not just an ordinary man. He is also God.

Jesus is the Christ, the God-man who lived perfectly and gave true meaning of life. His obedience even unto death has given life - eternal life, which is knowledge of God and of His Son, to many. He gives joy and meaning to those who turn away from their sin and put their trust in Him.

Life doesn’t have to be hollow and meaningless. But apart from Christ Jesus, who is the only way to God, the truth that sets us free, and the source of eternal life, life itself will be meaningless and in vain. May Christ, who is our life, lead us to fear and obey God, by the power of the Holy Spirit!