Path to Purpose: EcclesiastesSýnishorn

What do you treasure the most? Maybe it is your job, your house, or the people around you. Whatever it is that you treasure likely gives you a lot of joy, perhaps even a sense of purpose. And while it is not wrong to find joy in that thing, it cannot give you lasting meaning and satisfaction. Why? Because it is fleeting.

The things of this world—like our possessions, money, fame—are but temporary. They are futile, as Solomon, the supposed author of Ecclesiastes, says. This means that we cannot hold on to them, no matter how hard we try. They are like smoke that we try to grasp with our hands. Knowing this can be discouraging. After all, we don’t want to lose what gives us joy and satisfaction. But the fleeting things of this world are meant to lead us to the One who never changes or fades away—Jesus Christ.

Only Jesus can give us lasting joy, meaning, and satisfaction. Why? Because He is our Source of Salvation and life. It is through Christ’s Death and Resurrection that we are able to have our sins forgiven and our hearts transformed. The Salvation we receive through Christ gives us a relationship with the Lord, grants us eternal life, and enables us to live out our purpose in glorifying the Lord. In Christ, we find true joy and satisfaction because Jesus gives us what we need to experience abundant and lasting life.

It is when we turn to Christ and rest in Him that we are able to enjoy the things of this world without gripping them tightly or placing our happiness in them. Therefore, we can accept that the things of this world are fleeting and futile because Jesus gives us what cannot be taken away.

Reflect and Respond

What are you currently trying to cling to for joy, meaning, and satisfaction? Spend some time in prayer, asking God to help you release these things so that you can place your satisfaction in Him.