“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless! What do people gain for their labors at which they toil under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3)
Ever have an Ecclesiastes style day? The sort of day where you feel like you are rolling the rock up the mountain, only for it to slide back down for a fresh start? On days like that, don’t panic. It’s normal. There is a reason why Ecclesiastes is in the Bible. It serves as a reminder that no matter how good or bad the circumstance, it is all a blink away from becoming erased. Jesus has a way of equalizing these things in our lives. In the future, no one will remember what you had for lunch or how you nailed that presentation. Yet, true or not, this is a difficult pill to swallow. We hate thinking that our parenting, career, and marriage could be all for nothing.
But while Christ is a painful realist, He also provides a very real hope that surpasses cliches and bumperstickers
The freedom in a statement of “Meaninglessness” (or “absurdity” if you want a better translation), is that we have increasing mobilization to live and define marriage, career, and parenting in the way we wish. The stakes are never so high in our life that we cannot take a moment to breathe, change, or grow. Many translators take these verses as “under the sun”, meaning that life is indeed absurd without the divine pursuit of Christ. While I have trouble believing this, we can surely agree that with Christ, our life is more significant. What trouble verses like these do best is to break our hold on things we wrongly give eternal significance to. Jobs, relationships, family, vacations, social status, politics etc. are all merely fleeting distractions in light of an eternal God. These are shiny and tempting, but an unsteady shelf to place our hearts.
So today, embrace the meaningless. Know that there is freedom for you to live today as you wish. Be not afraid of situations and social pressures. There is a God that trumps that all. He was content long before cell phones and internet. Use Him as your model and stop taking life seriously. As Christians, we know the ending, and it turns out okay.
Matt simon blog 