This past Gladiators Inc. we discussed these questions in light of King Solomon’s expose’ in the book of Ecclesiastes. Dr. Tony Evans in his book No More Excuses, points out that at times we get lost in the routine of our daily lives so much so that it becomes our “crutch”. Our daily routine becomes who we are and we lose all sense of purpose in our lives. No sense of purpose leads to feelings of insignificance. Once our purpose and significance is lost many fall into what Dr. Evans calls “the rut of a meaningless existence.” Here is where we begin to franticly search for purpose and identity in all the wrong things. This is where Solomon picks up in Ecclesiastes. He searched for purpose and identity in (1) pleasures, (2) human wisdom, and (3) work. In all this his conclusion was its all a short-lived, fruitless, pointless, perplexing, meaningless nothingness.
One of the verses that stand out to me was Eccl. 2:10. Solomon said he if his eyes saw it, he got it. He never said no to himself. That’s crazy! Imagine that for a few minutes. Any car you see while flipping through a magazine – it’s yours. You like that house on MTV Cribs? It’s yours. That fine little thang you saw in the mall today – she is yours. Anything you see that you want – it instantly becomes yours. Solomon actually lived this – and in the end he said it was all a short-lived, fruitless, pointless, perplexing, meaningless nothingness. He did the same with human knowledge (education) and with his career. They also led to the same end. Now notice, pleasures, education, and careers are not bad in and of themselves. The issue is when we remove God from the center of these things and they become our purpose. They become our object or finish line that we are heading toward. Solomon is basically saying don’t waste your time. If you are looking for pleasure, education, or your career to give you a reason for living you are going to be terribly disappointed. You know the type. The Scarface – “In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.” The 50 Cent – “Get Rich or Die Trying…” The Harvard/Princeton Wannabe – “Oh well I’ve got 17 degrees and well you know…” The Workaholic who can’t find time to spend with his family because he’s working 120 hours a week. It’s all empty. Tony Montana never had enough, 50 has forsaken the art and sold his soul for the money, somebody always has more degrees than you, and in the end your job isn’t guaranteed to be there for you.
This is where it gets good. Solomon says in Eccl. 3:11 that God has put eternity on our hearts. All of us (saved and/or unsaved) have this inner notion that this can’t be it. That there’s got to be more to life than this. God put that in us all. Though we live and play in this world, we cannot find our ultimate purpose in life by looking at life. To find our purpose we must look toward eternity and find the Eternal One. To find life, look to the Life-giver. In John 10:10 Jesus says he came to give us super duper life! Life full of meaning, direction, and purpose. Put God back at the center of your life. Look to Him for your purpose. Get out of the rut of your daily routine and get to an exciting exuberant life!
Solomon ends his expose’ with Ecclesiastes 12:13,
“Honor God and do what He says. This is the wholeness of man.”
You want to be whole, you want to be complete? Tired of chasing and searching and always coming up with nothing? Turn to God for your purpose and meaning. There you will find your purpose. There you will find who you are.
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