“Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 2:11
The writer of Ecclesiastes catalogs the many ways he tried to find purpose and meaning in human endeavors and pleasures. He accomplished great things, built great buildings, and received the applause of many. He accumulated riches, worked hard, and played harder. He acquired mountains of stuff and spent his days and nights in the nearly endless pursuit of physical pleasure. He numbed himself and reflected on what he had become. It was all meaningless. It meant nothing and would be gone once he was gone.
Apart from God, out of His will, and without consideration for His glory, all of it was vanity. All of it was temporary. All of it would be swept away by the wind or buried by the sands of time. Apart from God, there is no long term meaning to any of the striving, sweat, and tears we put into the things that temporarily excite our imaginations.
True and lasting peace, pleasure, and purpose is found only as we pursue our relationship with God. There is satisfaction as we become more like His Son Jesus and walk in step with His Holy Spirit. There is meaning to our life as we devote it to making disciples. There’s a legacy that will last long after we’re gone when we devote ourselves to caring for and building up God’s people. There’s nothing to be gained under the sun unless it’s done for, and with, God’s Son!