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Ecclesiastes 4
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How do you find the meaning of life? Solomon, the wisest man in the Bible, explored this question deeply throughout Ecclesiastes. After pursuing everything—wealth, wisdom, work, and pleasure—he declared that all of it was meaningless, like "chasing after the wind." You cannot catch vapor, and you cannot catch wind. So what is our purpose? What meaning can we find?
Without God, life has no meaning. I gave my life to Jesus in 1999, and I can testify that life had no meaning before Christ. If you haven't made Him your Lord and Savior, our prayer is that you'll come to know Him today.
In Ecclesiastes 4, Solomon observes oppression happening all around him—the tears of the oppressed, those abused by those with power. He sees injustice and concludes it would be better if people were never born than to suffer such evil under the sun.
But Solomon's conclusion reveals a critical flaw: man's perspective is limited. We see only what is "under the sun"—our earthly experience. But God sees all. He sees every tear. He sees every injustice. He sees every bit of oppression.
When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." (Matthew 9:36-38)
Here's what struck me about Solomon: he had all the power and all the money, yet when he saw tears, he did nothing. Sometimes it's not about power or money—it's about proximity. To comfort someone means stepping into their mess, coming alongside them, and actually doing something about what you see.
Maybe God has placed someone in your path who needs comfort. You have gifts and ways to connect with people. God might be saying to you, "That's why I placed you there."
Psalm 82:3 says: Defend the weak and the fatherless, uphold the cause of the oppressed.
Consider how we respond locally. We have a school next door to our Boynton campus called Freedom Shores. During our Good Neighbor Days outreach, over 500 families came. The assistant principal told me they're facing a crisis: their Title 1 school is losing funding for free meals that 700 families depend on. Most of these children receive their only meal at school.
Yes, we gave them bounce houses and free burgers. But God is calling us to do more. Will we step in and help provide meals to these children? That's what it means to be an instrument of God's comfort.
Solomon observes: All toil and achievement spring from one person's envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:4)
What's meaningless is the constant need to "keep up with the Joneses." The motivation isn't based on need but on want and competition. You see your neighbor's new car, and suddenly your old one isn't good enough. You see them move to a nicer neighborhood, and now you need to move too.
This competitive cycle never ends. Before Amazon, we had FedEx, DHL, UPS all competing. Now Amazon delivers tomorrow. We find ourselves constantly chasing, constantly comparing.
Solomon identifies two unhealthy extremes:
The Fool Who Does Nothing: Some people fold their hands and achieve nothing. They have no desire, no purpose. They ruin themselves through complacency.
The Workaholic Who Never Rests: Others work so hard they never stop to enjoy what they've earned. They deprive themselves of joy and relationships. As Solomon says, "This too is miserable."
Ecclesiastes 2:25 tells us that the toil or the work or the career that you have... is a gift from God. It's a good thing. But God doesn't want you to be a workaholic. He wants work-life balance.
In Hebrew culture, the word for work is avodah—it means work becomes worship and service. Consider your current season of life. Maybe you're a homemaker, an office worker, a parent, a student—whatever your calling.
What if you looked at your work differently? Instead of hating your job and your boss, could you be grateful that God gave you this job? Could you thank Him for His provision in this season? Could you worship Him while you work?
Then, with the same hands you work with and worship with, could you serve? Serve your family. Serve your church. Serve your community. Use the gifts God has given you. Some of us have been sitting on our gifts, waiting for the perfect opportunity. God is saying: the same hand you work with, the same hand you worship with—could you serve somewhere?
Solomon describes a man who is all alone. He has no son, no brother, no wife, no family. All he does is work to accumulate money, yet he's never content. He asks himself, "For whom am I toiling? Why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" (Ecclesiastes 4:8)
This is tragic. He works so hard that he doesn't even enjoy what he's working for. And because he has no one to pass his legacy to, his life feels utterly meaningless.
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up, but pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
We say at Calvary: "We are better together." Two people working together accomplish more than one person alone. If you fall into a ditch—physically, spiritually, or emotionally—someone is there to help pick you up.
In those times, when you're tripped up by sin or struggle, pity the person who has no one. But you? You have community. You have brothers and sisters in Christ.
If two lie down together, they will keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:11-12)
Many say the "third strand" represents Jesus. If you're married, insert Jesus as the center of your marriage—He will transform it. If you're in a community group, put Jesus at the center—He will transform it. If your family is dysfunctional, make Jesus the third strand—He can heal and restore it.
Why do we emphasize community groups and care groups? Because when you face cancer, grief, or any trial, those connections mean everything. When you're involved in genuine community centered on Christ, He transforms your life. He gives you purpose. He gives you meaning.
You might come to church, get what you need spiritually, and head back to a lonely life. But imagine how much more powerful it is when you have Jesus and a whole body of Christ surrounding you!
If you don't have community today, I encourage you: take a risk. Get connected. Find your people. And if you're introverted, it's okay—it's worth the risk to have genuine community.
Solomon contrasts a poor but wise youth with an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. (Ecclesiastes 4:13)
As we get older, we can become set in our ways. We think, "I know what I'm doing. I don't need your advice." We develop blind spots. We become resistant to input from others—especially from younger people.
Solomon himself was the wisest fool who ever lived. He started humbly, asking God for wisdom. But over time, he accumulated 300 wives and 700 concubines. He drifted from his relationship with God. His life ended in foolishness.
But here's the sobering truth: the young leader who rises up will eventually grow old too. And the people who followed him will eventually follow someone else.
There was no end to all the people who were before them, but those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:16)
You cannot please everybody. Social media proves this: one person goes viral, gets millions of followers, then loses them to the next trending figure. It's endless.
If you're a people-pleaser, hear this: You must learn to say "no."
When you try to say yes to everyone, you end up disappointing everyone—including yourself. There is only one you need to please. There is only one worthy of your glory and devotion.
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I was still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)
Jesus is the greater king. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the one who gives you meaning.
I was running recently, doing my devotional, listening to worship music. I asked God, "How can I please you today?" And I felt Him say: "One faithful step at a time."
This old body doesn't run like it used to. Sometimes I wish I could be transported home. But that's not how we walk with Jesus. It's one faithful step. One choice. One act of obedience at a time.
So I ask you: What is the one faithful step you can take today to please and glorify God?
Maybe it's:
It doesn't matter the size of the step. What matters is the posture of your heart. Christ is not a condemning God. He doesn't say, "You messed up." He invites you to take that next faithful step with Him.
We find meaning in God's perspective. See the world through His eyes. Care for the oppressed. Be an instrument of His comfort.
We find meaning in godly community. Don't try to do life alone. Be connected. Serve together. Support one another.
We find meaning in living to please and glorify God. Stop chasing the approval of others. Take one faithful step at a time toward pleasing the King of kings.
The only vapor that doesn't evaporate is the one connected to God. He is your meaning. He is your purpose. He is your hope.
