The Middle Eastern sage concludes his lifelong observation on human existence with the exasperated cry, “Everything is utterly meaningless!” And that, after having sampled the titillation of sensual pleasures, the success of ambitious accomplishments, the surfeit of gastronomical delights, and the obeisance of fawning followers. What captured his attention was the cyclical motions of nature that paralleled the repeated seasons that render human life futile:

“Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc 1:4-9).

We are condemned to repeat our mistakes, end where we started, turn our wheels without getting anywhere, always moving but never arriving. Try as hard as we might, we can never escape this circuitous meaninglessness that fills life “under the sun.” The Wisdom writer attempts at finding purpose in philosophy, pleasure, labor, power, and wealth, but comes up empty. Energy is sapped and we are weary for trying to find meaning in human exploits and achievements.

The Wisdom writer testifies, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor…Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done…everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (Ecc 2:10-11). This pointless pursuit could be compared to chasing after soap bubbles. The bubbles shine in their glorious hue as they rise in the sunlight. But the moment you reach out to grab them, they pop into nothing. The human heart sinks in despair when we realize that our achievements and acquisitions are vacuous, and that we are as fleeting as the bubbles: “There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow” (Ecc 1:11).

The inevitability of emptiness greets all at the end of a lifelong pursuit of ambition or the carefree quest of wanton pleasure. Whether you are carefully plotting to succeed in life, or you throw caution to the wind in gratifying every sensual desire, every human exploit “under the sun” crashes in disappointing despair. We are all familiar with tell-tale symptoms:

Aching Void

The efforts we expend to satisfy the deep hunger in our souls and minds turn futile when our inner gauge returns quickly to empty after a brief sensation of joy at the moment of achievement. As the coach to the first bob-sled team from Jamaica cautioned his athletes, “If you are not enough without the gold, you will never be enough with the gold!” You will need to keep on winning to fill that void.

Nothing Changes

We ponder, plan, and pursue every conceivable strategy to bring about change and make a difference. But, at the end of it all, nothing changes. That was what Elijah experienced. After a big showdown on Mount Carmel and the power of God descended in glorious splendor, nothing changed in the palace, the locus of power. Instead of repenting, King Ahab still bent to the will of the evil queen Jezebel who threatened to kill Elijah and the other prophets of God. So, Elijah ran to the desert to sulk, stew, and sink in depression. Imagine, one moment he was fearless before the prophets of Baal; the next he was running away in fear from a woman! One instant Elijah was filled with hope for change; the next he was in despair that nothing can ever be changed. What a waste of energy and time. What’s the use of even trying again?

Let It End

If life is empty, why go on living? If there is no significance to my existence, why continue to be? The Wisdom writer offers his verdict after surveying life: “…the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living…but better…is the one who has never been born” (Ecc 4:2-3). He has the definitive answer to anyone who asks perplexingly, “To be, or not to be…?” The “Grateful Dead” takes on significance for those with such morbid contemplation.

If it is so bleak for all “under the sun,” what is the way out of despair and despondency? Is there light at the end of this dark tunnel of life? Or are we condemned to a painful, empty, and gray existence? Fortunately, the Wisdom writer offers a way out. If everything under the sun is meaningless, why not live above the sun?

That is shorthand for living with eternity in our hearts and view. After all, as the Wisdom writer observes, “…He has also set eternity in the human heart…” (Ecc 3:11). That means we take a long view on human existence. We recognize we are made in God’s image, and for Him. Life events make sense and take on significance only when we factor Him into human equations. The apostle Peter reminds us that, “…With the Lord a day is like a thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8). This offers the perspective that what happens in one human day has eternal significance. We are no longer flotsam and jetsam drifting aimlessly on the ocean of life. We are people of destiny and purpose when we are children of God.

The biggest difference living “above the sun” makes will be in our motivations and intentions, though our activities may appear similar to everyone’s. The Wisdom writer asserts that, “…there is nothing better…than to be happy and do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil – this is the gift of God” (Ecc 3:12-13). God is not a killjoy. He is the giver of all good gifts. But contentment is now possible. The change is not in outward activities. It is in the heart. That is God’s gift.

But, that gift of contentment corresponds with our determination to live for Him, to align our desires with His design, and to be motivated by His purposes.

There was a boy who had a loving relationship with his dog. When the boy fell ill, the dog stayed with him day and night till he got well. The boy’s pastor was so impressed by the dog’s commitment to its master, he had the boy bring the dog to church one Sunday. The boy brought the dog and laid it up front. He tossed a ball into the aisle and the dog laid still.

The pastor instructed, “Rusty, fetch!” Nothing. Religion would not make him fetch. An attractive young lady winked and in a sweet, tempting voice said, “Fetch, Rusty.” The dog wagged his tail, but did not move. The dog would not be tempted by sex. A bank president came and tried, but money could not move the dog. Finally, the boy said, “Fetch, Rusty,” and the dog shot down the aisle and got the ball.

Who are you fetching for? Who are you living for? What motivates you?

That makes the difference between contentment and meaningless, miserable business. That makes the difference between living “under the sun” and “above the sun.”

The New International Version of the Bible has been referenced.

Peter Chao is the Founder-President of Eagles Communications.