Why You MatterSample

Day Seven: The Joy in What’s Real

We’ve come to our last day together, and I know that questions remain—that’s okay. You may think, I have a better sense of who I am, what I should do, and how to endure hardship, but I still feel uncertain and unsettled. 

The book of Ecclesiastes provides perspective. At first glance, however, Ecclesiastes seems like a strange book to be in the Bible. For twelve chapters it says over and over that nothing we do really matters. As soon as you find happiness, success, wisdom, or wealth, something happens and it all goes away. Pursuing a meaningful life is as vain and futile as trying to chase the wind. So why bother? But the point of Ecclesiastes isn’t that nothing matters. It’s actually the opposite.

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. 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” (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14). In a surprise twist, Ecclesiastes teaches us that everything matters. And it matters in a way infinitely more important than we realized.

We cannot control outcomes. This is the aspect of life that is meaningless. There are a myriad of things that can wreck our good intentions. We have power, no doubt. Our planning, our work ethic, our wisdom, and our cooperation can accomplish much. They cannot control the future, though.

If you try to control what you cannot control, you are going to be miserable. This is part of the purpose of Ecclesiastes. Let go of what you cannot control. This is the nature of life. Trust in God and recognize what you have no power over. Learn to enjoy your life as you actually experience it, not as you want it to be.

Ecclesiastes reminds us to enjoy the simple gifts God gives us. These are the things that make us full, yet we miss them in the vanity of trying to control what we cannot. Don’t be the fool who vainly chases meaning through work, pleasure, wisdom, and righteousness, only to miss the gifts God has given you today.

Enjoy your work, not just what it brings. Enjoy your family and friends as they are, not as you want them to be. Enjoy the simple things in life. They matter. They possess more of what you are looking for than you realize.

Ecclesiastes fine tunes our perspective on why we matter and what is beyond our control. How does this bring you clearer purpose and more freedom?