Put Meaning Back Into Your Life

Sometimes life can seem downright hopeless and meaningless.  Have you ever felt that way?  The daily grind of working, paying bills, eating, sleeping, and repeating can weigh on anyone especially when facing trials and problems.  God has meaning for your life.  He designed you on purpose for a purpose.  Maybe you have discovered God’s purpose for life.  Maybe you’ve settled into a rut.  Living a meaningless life really means you are wasting your life. 

Solomon was a very wise and rich man but knew what living a meaningless life was all about. He said in Ecclesiastes 2:17, “So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”  Here are a few “symptoms” of a meaningless life taken from the account of his life.   In just a few verses, Solomon sums up his frustration and disappointment with his life.   First, Solomon said his life seemed useless.   “Life is useless, all useless. You spend your life working... but what do you have to show for it? ... The world just stays the same” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-4).  Next, he was tired of the mundane.  He refers to the repetitive nature of the rising and the setting of the sun, the way the wind blows, and how rivers flow in Ecclesiastes 1:4-8.  He was missing out on the greatness and blessings these had to offer his life. 

He goes on in verses 8-10 to describe how he is never fulfilled, satisfied, or content.  Verse 11 shows us how insignificant he saw himself.  He said no one would remember or care about what he did, what he was doing, or what he would do.  Finally, Solomon shows his disgust with the uncontrollable nature of life.  He said in verse 15, ““You can’t straighten out what is crooked and you can’t count things that aren’t there!”  Meaningless, frustration, pointless, disappointment, useless, mundane, repetitive, unfulfilling, rat race, disgust… are these characteristics of your life?  Do you feel these are overwhelmingly controlling or descriptive of your life?  You may be living a meaningless life…but you don’t have to.

The good news is God created you on purpose for a purpose.  Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  God has prepared a purpose for your life that is bigger than the mundane, unfulfilling, pointless life you are living.  You may think that is all life is about but God has something greater in store for you.  God knows the plans He has for you (Jeremiah 29:11).  To have the life God designed for you, you must align yourself with Him.  His values must become your values.   His purposes must become your purposes.  You can’t oppose God’s truth and expect to fulfill His purpose at the same time.  You must, as 2 Corinthians 13:8 says, “Stand for the truth at all times and not oppose it.”

You are uniquely created by God and He has placed in you special giftings and abilities to enjoy a meaningful life.  Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and 1 Peter 4:10 tell us we have great gifts from Him to carry out a life of meaning and purpose in Christ.  If life is feeling mundane and meaningless then it’s time to revisit your 8^th grade English class and start living your life in the prepositions:  for, in, through, like, by, along, near, inside, with, upon, via, under, and beside Him.  Whatever you do, work at it with all you heart for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).