The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem. “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.” What does a man gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 HCSB
My wife and I were so excited to purchase a brand new car when we were serving a church in Houston, Texas. The car dealer was a member of our church and made us a good deal. It was nice to have a new car, but as we drove out of the car lot it instantly became a used car and a year later I totaled it in an accident. We all strive to have more possessions – a new car, a new house, a new outfit, a new set of golf clubs, a new fishing boat or hunting rifle. But it is futile to seek possessions; all of our possession will come to an end and we cannot take them with us into eternity.
Solomon wanted people to understand that success and possessions did not last. All human accomplishments will come to an end. Solomon had power, riches, and everything that most people strive and wish for in life but he realized that all of that was futile. The word futile is derived from the Hebrew word “hevel” and can also be translated as vanity, useless, pointless, or meaningless. His point was that pleasure and possessions are fleeting and pointless.
Challenge: Are you chasing after empty pleasures, accomplishments, and possessions? Realize that they are all ultimately meaningless and futile. Only the pursuit of God will bring true satisfaction.