Life is Meaningless Without God

We’re all looking for something that will bring meaning into our life. We need life-giving moments to keep us going. King Solomon was known as the wisest man who ever lived. In the book of Ecclesiastes, he describes his search for purpose and satisfaction and what he learned from his attempts to find meaning in life apart from God. In today’s episode we’re going to look at Ecclesiastes 1 to help us answer the question, what should we be searching for?

King Solomon had it all: wealth, power, women, material possessions, but it still wasn’t enough. He had walked away from God and was searching for meaning in life.

1. Solomon searched for meaning in education and knowledge. (v13)

• He sought to know “everything under the sun” and he accomplished it. 
• Education is a good thing. Leaders should never stop learning, but  Solomon was hoping to find meaning by growing intellectually. 
• We too depend on education to give us hope and happiness. 
• Education won’t provide meaning and significance because just  knowing something does not produce change in your life. You must apply what you learn and allow it to change you. 
• The best education can be found in the Bible. How much time are you spending growing in the knowledge of God’s Word? 
• Without God, knowledge is meaningless.

2. Solomon searched for meaning in madness and folly. (v17) 

• The term “madness and folly” represents sinful living, a “party  lifestyle.” 
• It can’t provide lasting satisfaction because it leads to pain and brokenness.

3. Solomon tried living the wrong way, and he tried living the right  way. 

• Some of us are trying to live for God but also for the world. 
• When you’re living a dual lifestyle you are breaking your soul. 
• You will experience confusion, anxiety, and frustration. 
• Solomon found that neither path led to happiness. It was “striving  after the wind.”

4. Life without God is meaningless. 

• Trying to live a good life won’t bring meaning, and neither will living a self-indulgent life.
•  It’s all ”vanity” (v14). It’s meaningless.  
• As your knowledge grows, so does your sorrow and frustration. (v18) 
• Why? Because you still won’t be able to fix the problems around you. 
• Our efforts in a fallen world are like trying to catch the wind in our hands.  
• A relationship with Jesus Christ is the only thing that will provide meaning and purpose to all the things you accomplish in your life.
•  If Christ is not the center and foundation of the work you’re doing,  you will struggle with feeling like you’re chasing after the nothing. 
• Jesus gives you the purpose behind the work. 

What should we be searching for? If it’s true that life is meaningless without God then the #1 thing we should  be pursuing is God through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Make reading the Bible and connecting to God your first priority. 

Resources: Visit trentstewart.org and sign up to receive the TSL 5, updates on new podcast episodes, and to access these free resources: 

• Reflect & Review
• Bible Reading Plan “100 Days to Read the New Testament”
• “How To Pray” online course

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