“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. Ecclesiastes 1:2-4
Have you struggled with finding meaning and purpose in your life? I think it’s pretty common thing to struggle with. We can wonder if we are on the right path or if there’s some calling on our life that we’ve missed.
Life presents us with so many opportunities and choices. One choice can lead to others and the possibilities are endless. However, finding meaning and purpose leads to more contentment and joy.
Pursing the world’s version of success and meaning will often leave us empty ultimately. I believe there is that God-shaped hole in our hearts that can only be filled by Him. So if we are only pursuing worldly pleasures, ultimately we may not ever truly feel fulfilled.
Oftentimes, it is the simple things in life that bring delight. Things like evenings with our families laughing or playing games, taking in some part of God’s beauty in our world or doing a random act of kindness for someone.
It may mean being more intentional about making time to connect with your loved ones or planning those vacations or staycations to allow yourself to unwind and re-focus on what’s important. Have you even considered making a to-do list of things you can do to help you pursue more meaningful moments in your life? What if you decided to do one random act of kindness for someone you know or a complete stranger, once a day or once a week?
Meaning can also come from knowing that you are leaving a legacy of Jesus. How can you do that? Think about ways you can impact future generations with your time and resources now.
Life may be short but living with Jesus in your daily life is a joy on its own. Enjoy your toil knowing that at the end of the day, Jesus is the source of it all.
Learn to look beyond just the worldly things and look towards eternal things that will be significant and impactful.
As James says in James 4:14-15, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
So start being more intentional and focused on deep and meaningful things that carry eternal value. Be present. Be alive. Be joyful and radiate His goodness and His love to a hurting world around you. In that, you will surely find meaning and purpose.
