Chasing Meaning – Ecclesiastes 11-12

Posted on September 1, 2026 by dkoop

Are you wondering, “what is the meaning of life?”  “Why am I here?”   The end of  Ecclesiastes will help us.

Solomon has taught us that we will not find meaning in life through education, pleasure, work, money or possessions.  If we rearrange our priorities and find meaning in our relationship with God and His purposes, then life has meaning.

 In America we have been so blessed, we have so much materially.  Yet we are not happier.  Polls and statistics reveal that as a nation we are not happy.  We have a high rate of depression, drug abuse and suicide.  We HAVE materially but not spiritually.

How to Gain Meaning in Life

  1. Enjoy Life but Know that I am Responsible for my Actions

 …Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do.  Ecclesiastes 11:9

 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. Ecclesiastes 12:14

 I need to hear this, maybe you do too. GOD WANTS US TO ENJOY LIFE. God wants us to enjoy life in a moral and healthy way. God created a good world, and He doesn’t want us to spoil our joy, so He’s given us some “rules for the journey.” He provides wisdom, purpose, and direction beyond our limited experience.
But, enjoyment of life doesn’t have to mean lawlessness. We often think of God as  a killjoy.  When we’re consumed to seek material things, or lust or power we think of these things as our supreme need and God as something we need in case of a bind, like a spare tire or jumper cables!

God wants only what is best for us. We have concern for those we love. We’re passionate about their well-being. This is how God loves us. He wants us to do right because He cares about our lives.. Author Peter Kreeft says, “the theme song of those who live for self is ‘I did it my way.’ People think that is Heaven, when in fact it’s the song people sing in Hell.” True joy comes from saying to God, “Your will be done.”

When we live with boundaries, we live with joy.

People (young, and old alike) live as though they’re never going to have to account for their actions.  We answer to God. He wants us to enjoy life. We can’t enjoy life if we’re harming ourselves. Much of what people think is a “good time” is actually self-abuse.  Drunkenness, drug abuse, illicit sex, etc.  Solomon is calling us to a life of personal responsibility for our own good.

Why do we say, “youth is wasted on the young”? Because, however wild the younger generation may be, those who have some years on them know how they could act if they could only turn back the clock. Verse 9 says, “Do everything you want” the NIV says “Follow the ways of your heart.” In other words, do what your heart desires. Here’s the point, this is what we need to shoot for, if we desire God, our hearts will desire holiness.

2. Do the Right Things Now

Any procrastinators?  That’s me, here’s our verse:

4 If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. Ecclesiastes 11:4

A wonderful piece of wisdom!  If we wait for everything to be perfect before we make a move, we will never do anything.

Most are  guilty of saying—one of these days, or somewhere down the road. Solomon says, today is the first day of the rest of your life.  God allows you to be involved in the process of life.   So do the right things now. Don’t goof off then blame God that it is not going well.

1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and no longer enjoy living. Ecclesiastes 12:1

We don’t have all the time in the world. It may seem that way when we’re young, but life is brief.

Youth is the prime time to find God. Cultivating faith takes time. People can come to faith later in their life, but usually with considerable regret over a life wasted on things that didn’t matter.

We need to make the most of life before it’s too late. Solomon’s depiction of our mortality isn’t a threat, simply a reminder. Before the flame of life burns out we need to grasp the meaning of life, to know God, His will, and live with a sense of urgency. Some people who’ve reached their senior years admit they’ve missed the point of life, but (with regret) they’re unwilling to turn to God because it’s “too hard to change.” But it’s not too late. “forgetting your Creator” means we drop our self-sufficiency and commit our lives to Him. We surrender our plans and priorities to God.

  • Solomon uses the word “BEFORE” 10 times in 5 verses. I need to do the right things “before” its too late.

ILLUSTRATION  – Priorities & a jar[1]

A time management trainer: Put a Large pickle jar on the table and place rocks inside. And asked “Is the jar full?”

Some will say yes.
Then he took a bucket of gravel, dumped it in and shook the jar so the gravel sank in.

Then Asked: “Is the jar full?” “Probably not,”most should say.
“Good!” Then he took some sand and poured it in. “Now-full?” “No!”
Pour a pitcher of water into the jar. Now it was truly filled.

He asked: “What’s the point?”
Someone answered, “You may think your schedule’s full, but you can always fit something else into it!”
“NO!”. “It’s this: put in the big rocks (THESE ARE YOUR PRIORITIES) first GOD, spouse, family, or you’ll never fit every them in at all.”
Taken from Stephen Covey, First Things First, pp. 89 & 90

 How Can I Do the Right Things NOW?

a. Evaluate What is Really Important

6 …Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:6-7

Don’t wait for the crisis. The problem is for so many people they don’t think about what’s most important until a crisis hits.  It usually takes a crisis to get us to start thinking about the rest of our life.  A bankruptcy.  A divorce.  A major illness.  The death of a loved one.  Then you start thinking:  “Life is brief. Life is short.  I better start trying to make the most of it.”   Let’s do it now:

**List the three most important things in your life.  ________,  ______, ________ .

Did you put your children?  Did you put your spouse?   How does your time allotment match up with what is important to you?  Do they get equal time?   Dr. James Dobson has said and has written that he has known many men and no man says at the end of his life.  Boy I wish I had spent more time at the office!  No its I wish I had spent more time with my children and wife.   Don’t wait for death or crises to do what you know is right.   How many of you put God or your spiritual development?  How does your time, your money back that up?

 b. Be Ready for Distractions to Life’s Real Priorities

12 But, my child, be warned: There is no end of opinions ready to be expressed. Studying them can go on forever and become very exhausting! Ecclesiastes 12:12

There are many things that compete for our attention.   They distract us!  Temptations, detours, the good becomes the enemy of the best!  We fill our plates with activities and clog our schedule.  Often we think that the solution is more time.  “If I just had a few more hours in each day, then I’d get it all done.”  God says, “No, you don’t need more time in your day.”  I heard Rick Warren say this and it makes so much sense:  I have just enough time to do God’s will.

God put you on this earth to do a certain number of things.  God would not give you more things to do than He gives you the time to do it.  God would not expect more of you and then not give you the time and energy to do it.  If we’re not getting the important things done in our life, it means one of two things.

  1. We’re doing some things in our life that we shouldn’t be doing.  We’re doing some things that God never intended us to do.
  2. We’re doing the right things, we’re just doing them the wrong way.  We’re not being efficient, effective.  We’re not managing your time wisely.  We need to sharpen some skills.   Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 10:10 “if the ax is dull… more strength is needed but SKILL will bring success. (NIV)  We need to work smarter not harder.

c. Schedule and Live My Priorities

4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed… Ecclesiastes 12:4

If we have a doctor’s appointment we put in on our schedule.  If we have someone coming over to fix the ac or plumbing, we schedule it.  Why?  Because nothing happens until we schedule it.  Nothing. We may say spending time with God is important.  We may say spending time with your kids is important.  We may say quality time with our spouse is important.  We may say exercise or anything else is important, but if we don’t schedule it, it’s not really important.  Scheduling is where the rubber hits the road.  Nothing happens until we put it on our calendar.

 3. Honor God and Live For Him

13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

This principle that Solomon and the rest of the bible teaches is this: whatever you put God first in, that area gets better.  God says, “If you put Me first in your finances, I will make the rest of your money — the other ninety percent — go further than it would if you had kept the whole hundred percent to yourself selfishly.”

It’s the same thing with our time.  God says “If you put Me first with your time, I will make the rest of your time stretch and go further than you thought possible.”  We think, “I don’t have time to talk to God.  I don’t have time for a Connect Group.  I don’t have time to or to get His word in my life.”   Then we wonder why we’re stressed and not close to God?  On the other hand, if we say, “God, because You are my God and because the most important thing is knowing You, then I’m going to put You first in my time” and watch what He does with everything else.  “33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.  Matthew 6:33

Life is short and you’re not guaranteed a tomorrow, much less next week.  We’re not guaranteed that the people in our life are going to be with you tomorrow or even next week.  Whatever is important in life, whatever is the right thing to do, whatever you’re intending to do because you know that it’s the good thing to do, we should do it now.    Don’t wait until your parents have died.  Don’t wait until your kids have grown up.  Don’t wait until your spouse’s heart has grown cold.  Do it now.

Solutions to Life’s Biggest Complaints

  • If I say, “Life has no meaning!” Solomon says I am living for the wrong things.  When I honor God and follow His words I will find meaning and purpose.  What am I living for?
  • If I say, “Life is not Fair!” Solomon says, Life may not be fair but God is still in control. Just wait, God will bring justice to all.  Are you ready to stand before God?

Every day we’re exchanging our life for something.  JESUS says “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  Our time is our life.  Every time we invest our time for something, we’re exchanging our life. Some people are exchanging their life for television.  Some people are exchanging their life for a little ball.  Some people are exchanging their life for fame that isn’t going to last until five years from now.  On and on.  Every time you have an activity you ought to ask yourself, “Is this worth giving my life to it?” because that’s exactly what you’re doing when you give some of your time.  Is it worth giving my life for?  If we want to find time for the most important things in life, we need to give the best we have to the highest we know and you need to do it now.

The tragedy is some people go all through life and miss the most important thing.  What is the most important thing in life? Love God, Love People, Share Jesus.

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

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[1] Taken from Stephen Covey, First Things First, pp. 89 & 90

 

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Chasing Pleasure – Ecclesiastes 2:1-16, 24-25

Posted on August 28, 2026 by dkoop

Isn’t there more to life?  With all that there is to bring me pleasure why do I hurt so much? This question was raised in the Bible by a guy named Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes.   We are continuing our series called “Chasing the Wind”

Solomon was so wealthy, he could afford life’s most luxurious pleasures.  And that’s exactly what he did.  Solomon attempted to fill his life with every possible pleasure he could think of. Solomon decided he was going to conduct an experiment.   Listen to what he says,

1 I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2:1

Solomon tried to live for pleasure but found it to be lacking.  As I mentioned before this is one of our gods in America: pleasure.  Our mantra: “If it feels good do it!”   I’ll say this right from the beginning; there is nothing wrong with pleasure.  God wants you to have pleasure, the problem is when we try to make it the GOAL of our lives.  When we make pleasure the MAIN THING we live for it will let us down.

Like Solomon, Do I Live for … 

· Alcohol or Drugs

3 After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine… Ecclesiastes 2:3

Solomon began his experiment with alcohol.   I wonder how many of us have given alcohol and drugs a test drive or two? I won’t ask for a show of hands!  Practically ever hand would be up.  The latest statistics from show that there are 19 million Americans addicted to alcohol.  One out of every 12  adults is addicted to alcohol or abuses alcohol.  Everyday 12,000 people are trying alcohol for the first time!  Every single day, fifty-two people die due to alcohol abuse and addiction. [1]   I think of my own stupidity with alcohol and how I could have died on my 21st birthday party from alcohol poisoning.

What about drugs?    Listen to these headlines from just one year in Time Magazine, Study: Teen Drug Use Worsening   Prescribed Narcotic Abuse Spreads  The Newest Addictions on Campus Study: Rock Stars Do Die Young The Science Of Addiction

Then there’s trying to live for

  • House and Garden

4 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. Ecclesiastes 2:4-6

Solomon built homes and created magnificent gardens and parks that were majestic in beauty, color, and smell.  He even implemented his engineering expertise by building intricate irrigation systems to water his vineyards, parks, and gardens.  This is the way the rich and famous would live and Solomon immersed himself in them.  Yet, at closer inspection Solomon says these things didn’t ultimately satisfy.  The same is true for us.  We spend billions on homes. Real estate and home building are at a fevered pitch.  Notice how the Home Depots and Lowes keep popping up, they are cashing in, this is big business in the U.S.!  The American dream consists of owning our own home.  Most Americans own their own home and can fill it with stuff but  we are not happier.  Living standards keep rising year after year in America but personal, family and life satisfaction has not![2]

I think of my own attitude toward this, when Niki and I first got married we lived in a 900 square foot house with no dishwasher, central heat or air, yet we were happy.  We later moved into another house in Fort Worth that was smaller, one little bathroom that you better have your pants down and before you get in there!  We look back at those times with wonderful memories as a newly married couple.  Now we have been blessed so much and have more than we could ever want, yet in moments of weakness we find our selves wanting more.

  • Possessions and Money

You would think by now Solomon would start getting the picture, especially since he possessed the most brilliant mind the world has ever known.  But, unfortunately, Solomon is like many of us, he’s determined to try something else to make pleasure work.  So…Solomon tries possessions and money.

7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. 8 I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces…  Ecclesiastes 2:7-8a

Solomon had Bill Gates kind of wealth.  He had more money at his disposal then he knew what to do with.  Gold and silver were as common as stone during the days of Solomon.  Unfortunately for Solomon, even in the midst of fortune and wealth beyond our wildest dreams, he still found the pleasure of wealth lacking, and empty.

Actor Jim Carey was quoted saying, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”

· Entertainment

Solomon moved on to America’s favorite pastime, entertainment.

…I hired wonderful singers, both men and women… Ecclesiastes 2: 8b

2 So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” Ecclesiastes 2:2

  • SexXX

You will notice as we read about Solomon his life was doing well until women entered the picture!  He was coasting along fine in the Bible and then bam! The women took him down.

…and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire! Ecclesiastes 2:8c

3 He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. 1 Kings 11:3

Here’s what a concubine is.  It was a legal form of a mistress,  a wife was to have legitimate children and a concubine was for sex. We read of it as early as Genesis.  This is not God’s plan, it was a sin that the people picked up from surrounding nations. It was spoken against in the Old and New Testament.  Solomon knew better.  So we see that Solomon had over 1000 women.  He had enough women to have 3 different women a night for a year!  So that we don’t become overly judgmental towards Solomon; the following statistics should sober us up.

  • The pornography industry generates about 60 billion dollars of revenue worldwide.
  • The pornography industry generated more revenue than the “combined” revenues for professional football, basketball, and baseball.
  • Child pornography generates 3 billion dollars worth of revenue every year.
  • The largest consumer demographic of pornography is 12-17 year olds.
  • The average age of a person’s first exposure to internet pornography is 11 years old.
  • There are 2.5 billion pornographic emails sent out every day.[3]

Our culture is every bit has sexually charged as Solomon was.  Everywhere we look, men and women are trying to find satisfaction and meaning with sexual gratification.  Pornography addiction is at epidemic proportions.  Why?  Because people are desperate for pleasure.  Solomon tried – boy did he try – to find his pleasure fix in sexual intimacy.  At the end of the day, sexual pleasure left him bone dry.

What is the Result of Living for Pleasure?

10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure…11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

  • It is empty and costly.

17 Those who love pleasure become poor…. Proverbs 21:17

Towards the end of his life, Solomon looked back and came face-to-face with the sobering realization that worldly pleasures will leave you spiritually, emotionally, and physically bankrupt.  Solomon lived the best years of his life as an empty, bankrupt, and unfulfilled man.  Why?  Because he chose to live for the wrong things.  In this case, Solomon tried to seek and find pleasure apart from God.  God says that seeking pleasure apart from Him is a futile and hopeless way to live.

How Do I Spell Relief?

· TRUST – Let Pleasure Come from Living God’s Way   

24 …Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? Ecclesiastes 2:24b-25

Solomon tells us that life’s pleasures come from God’s hand. True enjoyment in life comes only as we follow God’s guidelines for living. Without him, satisfaction is a lost search. Those who really know how to enjoy life are the ones who take life each day as a gift from God, thanking him for it and serving him in it. Those without God will have no relief from toil and no direction to guide them through life’s complications.

Solomon thought that pleasure could be attained apart from the God.  Finding pleasure is all about the “source.”  In our pursuit of pleasure, we have a decision to make.  We can chose to pursue pleasure in the One who created it – God. Or…we can choose to pursue pleasure in the world – where sinful people have modified and corrupted it.  You have been created for pleasure.  God created you because you bring him pleasure.   He created you to know Him, follow him and honor him.   As we do he provides what we need.

 17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17

How else do can I have relief?

  • CHURCH – Encouragement and Accountability will Keep Me Balanced

25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.. Hebrews 10:25

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16

  • SAVIOR –  I Need the Freedom and New Life that Christ Can Give

3 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.  4 But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.  6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Titus 3:3-6

As I have talked to other men who are believers and we agree that Christ is the only thing that got our attention in this area.  We were slaves to our passions, we were as the scriptures said, “foolish, disobedient, misled” until God came into our lives and began to change us.

Are you seeking freedom?  It is in Christ.  Do you want to change?  It is only Christ that changes our lives.  Promises and good intentions will not do it, only the power of God in our lives.

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Read Along Daily Bible Reading: You Version

Sources:

All Verses are from the New Living Translation of the Bible)

[1] What Hooks Us,  2007 Time Inc

[2] A Whole New Mind,  pg 35, Daniel H Pink

[3] Statistics taken from www.familysafemedia.com.

 

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Chasing Work – Ecclesiastes 2:17-23

Posted on August 28, 2026 by dkoop

According to Workaholics Anonymous, if you answer yes to three or more of the following questions, then you may be a workaholic.

  1. Do you get more excited about your work than about your family or anything else for that matter?
  2. Do you take work with you to bed? On weekends? On vacation?
  3. Is work the activity you like best and talk about the most?
  4. Do you work more than 40 hours per week?
  5. Do you turn your hobbies into money-making ventures?
  6. Have your family and friends given up expecting you to be on time?
  7. Do you get impatient with other people who have different priorities other than work?
  8. Is the future a constant worry for you even when things are going great?
  9. Do you get irritated when people ask you to stop your work in order to do something else?
  10. Have your long hours hurt your family and other relationships?
  11. Do you think about work when driving, falling asleep or when others or talking?
  12. Do you believe that more money will solve the other problems in your life?[1]

  How about it?  Did you answer “yes” to three of more of those questions?  I did and I bet most of you did too.  You know what that means don’t you?  You are a workaholic or your life is centered around work in an unhealthy way.  You are like Solomon who was to living for work, instead working for a living.  Does that describe you?

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us about his attempt to fill his life with work.  Let’s see what this brilliant king has to say about “work.”

17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me…Ecclesiastes 2:17

Like Solomon If I Fill My Life with Work, Work, Work, I  Will Find…

  • My Life is filled with Despair

20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:20

I decided to look up the word despair to understand its full meaning, here is what the dictionary says, “Despair – to lose, give up, or be without hope[2]”   That is a very strong word.   I read this week that, “One third of Americans say, “I hate my job!” “Most suicides occur on Sunday nights.”

( “they must have heard a bad sermon!)

  And most heart attacks occur on Monday nights![3]

  Solomon offers us all a sobering warning; a warning that is especially timely for a generation and culture that considers work a god.  In these short passages we are looking at today Solomon uses the word meaningless four times!  He says work is overrated.  Its blown way out of proportion.  Solomon is really hammering home a point here.  He wants us to know, in no uncertain terms, that choosing to make work the reason for living will leave us utterly empty and without hope.

Like Solomon If I Fill My Life with Work, Work, Work, I  Will Find…

  • My Inheritance is a Misfortune

 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. Ecclesiastes 2:21

Millions and millions of people are justifying their workaholic pace with an inheritance mindset.  “I’m doing it for the kids. I want them to have access to things I never did.  I want them to start their adult lives with things it took me years to attain.  I don’t want them to work like I’ve had to work.”

   Here’s a very blunt and surprising statement by Solomon.   He says leaving your inheritance to someone who hasn’t worked for it is “great misfortune.”  Get this, several translations like the King James and the New King James says it’s a  “great evil”  Maybe it’s evil because it causes quarreling, jealousy and fighting among family members over how the inheritance is split up.  Often the splitting of an inheritance causes a splitting of the family!  I have heard of horror stories of grabbing and fighting over an inheritance that has ruined otherwise happy families.  I have already decided in advance, what is my parents is my parents, its theirs, I am not expecting anything. I want to work for what I have.  In fact it seems warped to think about an inheritance to me because it would be like me hoping they would die so I could have it!

   Maybe it’s evil because fosters a lazy, codependent lifestyle in our children.  Maybe it’s evil because it fosters a love for money (1 Tim. 6:10).  Maybe it’s evil because more times than not, inheritance is used to store up earthly possessions instead of heavenly treasures.  Maybe it’s evil because in its most insidious form, it’s a lie.  It’s a lie that tells us what our kids want from us is money.  Yet, in reality, what our children want from us is our love, devotion, and time.  Can you imagine spending the best years of your life working your fingers to the bone, missing ball games, dance recitals, the first bike ride so that you can give your son or daughter something they never wanted to begin with?  What a tragedy!

   Like Solomon If I Fill My Life with Work, Work, Work, I  Will Find…

  • My Mind and Body Cannot Rest

23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2:23

Solomon says that the life lived for work will leave you restless.  One of the sure fire signs that a person is filling his or her life with the fuel of work is how they sleep.  Solomon guarantees you this; if you choose to fill your life with work, work, work, you’re not going to sleep well.  And when you don’t sleep well, the results are significant.  Sleep deprivation causes mental, physical, and emotional fatigue, decreased productivity, irritation, bad eating habits, severe mood swings, chemical dependence, etc.

  Trying to work 7 days a week – no accomplishment in doing that

   During the French Revolution they decided to do away with the Sabbath, the day of rest, it was so old fashioned!  They found out the nation collapsed, even the horses were getting sick and giving out.  We were not built to work 24-7.

OK…Solomon’s done, right?  Unfortunately, there’s more he wants you to know.  If I fill my life with work…

  • My Motives are Wrong

 4 And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:4

According to Solomon, the drive of a workaholic is produced in the well of envy or wrong motives somewhere.   Why are working overly busy and working ridiculously long hours?  Because our neighbors have things we don’t have, but want.  Solomon said that’s meaningless.   It could be our motive is to be successful and we are motivated by a low self esteem. I know I feel low around others pastors if they have more people coming, more decisions being made in their churches. That’s tough to swallow.  My motive shouldn’t be to look good, or look successful, my motive should be to serve God faithfully, working for Him.  We will talk more about this in a moment.  Our wrong motive for working so hard is we lack trust in God providing so we never stop as if it only depends on us.

   For many of you here this morning, you know that Solomon’s words are true. You’ve been filling your life with work for years and years and years.  You’ve viewed work as the king that will get you were you want to go. Yet…with all honesty, where has it taken you?  Has work produced a happy, peace-filled, restful, content life for you?  Or…has work produced stress, mounds of debt, anxiety, sleepless nights, moodiness, and regret?  Here’s the bottom line for those of you that are living for work, you need a new perspective:

God created me to WORK for His purposes, not my agenda!

 Lets look at God’s way, God’s plan for work or….

God’s Work Order

Before you walk in and give your two week notice.  Before you chalk up work as evil.  You need to understand

 Work is Necessary

Here are a few absolutes about work from the Bible:  God created us to work. Work was part of God’s plan BEFORE sin entered the world.  It says, God works and is still working.  Jesus worked.  The Holy Spirit works. We ARE to work.  Period.

   In the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden when things were still perfect, it says,

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15

There was work in a perfect world.

  check out this verse

10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10

    I think the another reason work is necessary besides the obvious one of providing our needs of food, shelter and clothing is that work represents our impact on the world.  We can truly make a difference with our time here on the planet.  We all seek meaning and purpose and to make a difference.  Solomon’s greatest complaint was that work was meaningless.  So for work to have greatest meaning it has to be about something bigger than ourselves. So if we can truly make a difference in what we do,  who are we ultimately working for.   The Bible tells us…

 Work with all my Heart for Christ

 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,  24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24

   Whatever you do, whether its in sales, management, service, education, medical or whatever we should work hard and work for Christ.  He is the audience.  He is the one we seek to please and honor.   When we work for Him we will work better.  Michael Angelo the famed artist was asked to by the pope to paint the ceiling of a new church that was being built.  The artist, Michael Angelo worked with all his heart, an observer wondered why he focused such attention on the details of the corners of the church.  “No one will ever see them,” he commented. Michael Angelo’s reply?  “God will.”[4]

7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,  8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does…Ephesians 6:7-8

God did not create you just to seek your personal agenda with work.  God created you to work for Him.   Niki read a book by Max Lucado called “The Cure for the Common Life”  it really parallels well to the things we are looking at in this series.  In there is a quote that she read to me that I have to share,  “Don’t waste years embellishing your own image.  No disrespect but who needs to see your face? Who doesn’t need to see God’s face?”[5]

When the purpose of your work shifts away from a self-centered personal agenda and onto seeking to serve Christ, work will become a more  fulfilling, more satisfying and contented experience.  Will there be tough days on the job?  You bet there will!  Will there be days that you want quit?  Absolutely!  I had a few months of feeling this way this past year.  Will there be days that produce exhaustion?  Sure there will!  But, with Christ or God’s glory as the object of your work, you will persevere and enjoy renewed since of peace, contentment, and satisfaction.

When the purpose of your work shifts away from a self-centered personal agenda and onto doing it for Him, guess what happens?  You become a missionary instead of a consumer.  You become the trumpet of God instead of a muted voice.  You become salt and light instead of “one of the crowd.”  You become the recipient of a heavenly inheritance that you will enjoy for eternity.

 Work is a way that I Witness for Christ

 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us…2 Corinthians 5:20

We are ambassadors.  The dictionary’s definition is, “Ambassador  – a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative”[6]  Have you ever though about that, you as a Christian are a diplomatic official of highest rank sent by the highest sovereign in the universe to represent Him, to point people to His ways.  That is an incredible job description.

One Person I know that really gets this: my wife Niki, she is constantly inviting people she meets at work: co-workers and patients to church.  We have had many of her patients come her.  I tease her that she marks them.  I can see the kinesio tape on them, or the cast or crutches.

17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

9  …For you are a chosen people. You are royal priests… As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)

   Besides all Christians being ambassadors and ministers, we are also called priests, our job is to represent God to other people.   Notice what it says, “for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light  As we close today perhaps you have been in the dark when it comes to work, you need to come into the light into a healthier view.  You can commit today to seek to work for Christ, to work to point others to Him.  Perhaps today you are ready to come into the light, maybe this restroom stall represents your spiritual condition.  You are ready to invite Christ into your life to clean it, to forgive it, to bring light into the darkness of your soul.  As we pray you can do that.

 

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

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Read Along Daily Bible Reading: You Version

Sources: [1] Taken from http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org/knowing.html.

[2] www.dictonary.com

[3] Cure for the Common Life, Max Lucado, pg 96

[4] The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, John Maxwell, pg 16-18

[5] Cure for the Common Life, Max Lucado, pg 52

[6] www.Dictionary.com

Posted in Chasing the Wind - Ecclesiastes | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Chasing the Wind – Ecclesiastes 1-2

Posted on August 4, 2026 by dkoop

Have you ever seen someone “chasing the wind?”  I have never seen anyone do this, but I will be sure to keep looking; for someone running down the street with a net, swinging it in the air, trying to catch the wind. You would think a person was completely insane to attempt to catch the wind. But this is the picture that Solomon paints concerning “life under the sun.” Solomon reminds us that he is taking a journey and he is recording us what he found. We like to think that the grass is greener on the other side. But Solomon had the opportunity and resources to find out for himself. In this journey he is ignoring any impact that God may have. The writer says that he is looking at life “under the sun.” This means that his examination is completely horizontal, looking at life merely from a human perspective.

As we look at Ecclesiastes, we are looking into the heart and soul of a successful, yet disillusioned, man who is reflecting on why his life feels meaningless. As Solomon begins to look back on his life, he comes to some discouraging conclusions.

  1. Life Seems Meaningless

1:1 The author, Solomon (the “king of Israel,” see 1:12), referred to himself as the Teacher, or leader of the assembly. He was both assembling people to hear a message and gathering wise sayings (proverbs). Solomon, one person in the Bible who had everything (wisdom, power, riches, honor, reputation, God’s favor), is the one who discussed the ultimate emptiness of all that this world has to offer. His purpose in this book is to make people realize that their confidence in their own efforts, abilities, and righteousness was meaningless. Instead, their commitment to God is the only reason for living.

1:2 Solomon’s kingdom, Israel, was in its golden age, but Solomon wanted the people to understand that success and prosperity don’t last long (Psalm 103:14–16; Isaiah 40:6–8; James 4:14). All human accomplishments will one day disappear; we must keep this in mind in order to live wisely. If we don’t, we will become either proud and self-sufficient when we succeed or sorely disappointed when we fail. Solomon’s goal was to show that earthly possessions and accomplishments are ultimately meaningless. Only the pursuit of God brings real satisfaction. We should honor God in all we say, think, and do.

3 What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? ….8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. Ecclesiastes 1:3–8

 “I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind. Ecclesiastes 1: 14

1:1–11 Solomon had a purpose for writing skeptically and pessimistically. Near the end of his life, looking back on everything he had done, he saw that most of it seemed meaningless. A common belief was that good people prospered and the wicked suffered, but that hadn’t proven true in Solomon’s experience. Solomon wrote this book after he had tried everything and achieved much, only to find that nothing apart from God made him happy. He wanted his readers to avoid these same senseless pursuits. If we try to find meaning in our accomplishments rather than in God, we will never be satisfied, and everything we pursue will become meaningless.

1:8–11 Many people feel restless and dissatisfied. They wonder:

(1) If I am in God’s will, why am I so tired and unfulfilled?

(2) What is the meaning of life?

(3) When I look back on it all, will I be happy with my accomplishments?

(4) Why do I feel burned out, disillusioned, dry?

(5) What part does God play in life?

Solomon tests our faith, challenging us to find true and lasting meaning in God alone. As you take a hard look at your life, as Solomon did his, you will see how important serving God is over all other options. Perhaps God is asking you to rethink your purpose and direction in life, just as Solomon did in Ecclesiastes.

1:12–15 “What is wrong cannot be made right. What is missing cannot be recovered” refers to the ultimate perplexity and confusion that come to us because of all the unanswered questions in life. Solomon, writing about his own life, discovered that neither his accomplishments nor his wisdom and education could make him truly happy. True wisdom and education is found in God, and true happiness comes from pleasing him.

  1. Education Gives Little Meaning

 So I set out to learn everything… But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind.  Ecclesiastes 1:17

“The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.  Ecclesiastes 1:18

The more you understand, the greater your pain and difficulty. For example, the more you know, the more you realize you don’t know!  The more imperfection you see around you; and the more you observe, the more evil becomes evident.

1:16–18 Solomon highlights two kinds of wisdom in the book of Ecclesiastes:

(1) human knowledge, reasoning, or philosophy, and

(2) the wisdom that comes from God. In these verses Solomon is talking about human knowledge. When human knowledge ignores God, it only highlights our problems because it can’t provide answers without God’s eternal perspective and solution.

But, my child, let me give you some further advice:  Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.  Ecclesiastes 12:12

Opinions about life and philosophies about how we should live could be read and studied forever. Four million books are published every year!  It’s not possible to read them all or understand everything. It is not wrong to study these opinions, but because our life on earth is so short, we should make the best use of time by learning the important truths in God’s Word. They affect this life and eternity. Wise students of the Bible will understand and do what it says.

  1. Pleasure Gives Little Meaning

2:1 1 I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2:1

Solomon conducted his search for life’s meaning as an experiment. He first tried pursuing pleasure. He undertook great projects, bought slaves and herds and flocks, amassed wealth, acquired singers, added many concubines to his harem, and became the greatest person in Jerusalem. But none of these gave him satisfaction: “But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere” (2:11). Some of the pleasures Solomon sought were wrong, and some were worthy; but even the worthy pursuits were futile when he pursued them as an end in themselves. We must look beyond our activities to the reasons we do them and the purpose they fulfill. Is your goal in life to search for meaning or to pursue God, who gives meaning?

10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure…11 But as I looked at everything, I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

2:4–6 Solomon had built houses, the Temple, a kingdom, and a family (see 1 Kings 3–11). In the course of history, they all would be ruined. In Psalm 127:1, Solomon wrote, “Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.” This book is part of Solomon’s testimony as to what happens to a kingdom or family that forgets God. As you examine your projects or goals, what is your starting point, your motivation? Without God as your foundation, all you are living for is meaningless.
2:11 Solomon summarized his many attempts at finding life’s meaning as “chasing the wind.” We feel the wind as it passes, but we can’t catch hold of it or keep it. In all our accomplishments, even the big ones, our good feelings are only temporary. Security and self-worth are found, not in these accomplishments, but far beyond them in the love of God. Think about what you consider worthwhile—where you place your time, energy, and money. Will you one day look back and decide that you, too, were “chasing the wind”?

24 …Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? Ecclesiastes 2:24b-25

Here is Solomon’s first important realization: life cannot be enjoyed apart from God. With God, you can have wisdom, knowledge, and joy. You can have a good life when you are pleasing to God. You can enjoy life and appreciate the fruit of our labor. But to the godless, life is simply monotony, working and accumulating for no purpose at all. It will be given to someone who is pleasing to God. The work of the wicked is futile and like chasing the wind.

Apart from God, life is futile. Wisdom, pleasures, wealth, and work have no value without God. Life simply becomes the grind without God. Has life turned into a grind, a monotonous chore for you? If you feel this way then it reflects that you do not have a good relationship with God. You are doing things pleasing to God. Instead, you are living according to worldly wisdom. You are listening to what society says in best rather than what God says is best. Lay your burdens down today and put your trust in God.

Enjoy today. Enjoy what you have. Satisfaction is not here. Satisfaction is with the Lord.

I like to remember the words of Jesus who reminds us that with life’s burdens, He’s the answer:  28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.   Matthew 11:28

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Read Along Daily Bible Reading: You Version

Sources:

Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 1062-1074

Brent Kercheville, Ecclesiastes, 2008, Chasing the Wind

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