There seems to be a pretty standard path for most people as the hit high school. Okay first, do really good in high school so you can get into a good college so you can get a good job and then get a bunch of money and then have a good life. But what does it matter? The people who work hard maybe do gain a good life, but eventually the pass away. The lazy people, sure their life on earth might not be great, but eventually they too die just like the person who worked hard. So it would seem then that the goal, the meaning even, of life is to work really hard at having the best possible life on earth. But there is a problem.
If I could sum up this next section in one cliche, it would be "life isn't fair". Solomon looks at the meaninglessness of life by looking at a few situations of common life and work. He first starts by lamenting that in the place of judgement and justice, there is wickedness. Essentially he states something we probably all have seen and experienced. Life isn't fair. Sometimes the lazy guy gets the promotion. Sometimes the kid that didn't try at all in high school has a grandpa who went to an Ivy League school. Life isn't fair and it is not uncommon for people to get things they don't deserve. That said, isn't life meaningless? We could work really hard and gain nothing or not work at all and gain lots of stuff, it doesn't really matter what we do huh?
Solomon then continues to look at those who do work. Many people's lives are spent trying to get that perfect life, that "American Dream" and all they do is work. Solomon says "and I declared that the dead, are happier than the living" (4:2). Life isn't fair. You can spend your whole life working and gain nothing but callused hands or really good Microsoft Excel skills.
Solomon then continues on the same theme but from a different standpoint of relationships. Some people are blessed with others to help them work is his message but isn't it true that some people are blessed with large families while others aren't. Life isn't fair, some people come from huge, loving families while others come from broken homes. Some people don't have to work a day in their life because of the family they came from while others, they have to start from the bottom. That is why stories like, somewhat recently, Mardy Gilyard's (a Philadelphia Eagle football player) are so inspiring. He was a kid in a broken home who ate mayonnaise sandwiches growing up because his family didn't have money who now is an NFL football player. Life gives different relationships to different people and this can help or hurt us but we have no control over this.
So it would seem that nothing we do matters because either way we could end up getting lucky or end up working hard for nothing right? Wrong. Solomon in chapter 5 says "God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few" (5:2). God has a plan. Even if your circumstances are terrible you must understand that God has a plan for your life. Through God, through Christ, we find meaning in our lives. Without God, our lives truly are meaningless but with God we have a purpose, to glorify him, to follow his commands, to share the good news of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection with others!
So let us backtrack for a second. Everyone is given different circumstances and people in their lives, some help and some hurt us. When Christ is our focus however, we who have no one in our life physically have a best friend in Jesus and we who have many people in our life can praise God for that blessing and try to show the love we feel from family and friends with those who don't have that love. We are given different circumstances which God an use for his glory. The missionary Amy Carmichael hated her eye color but was able to use her brown eyes to save children from oppression (if you are unfamiliar with this story I will let you check it out on your own.).
From a worldly standpoint, work can truly be meaningless, but this is because those workers have no idea where their life is going and have no purpose other than to try and make money and comfort. In Christ however no matter what we do we have a purpose to glorify him which makes even menial tasks worth doing because by doing them joyfully you are glorifying God and thus accomplishing his plan for you!
Lastly, it would seem that the world is corrupt and justice is nowhere to be found and that is because that is somewhat true. With sin in the world sometimes the "bad guy" does win. Just look at the news and you find that recently over 20 Nigerian Christians were killed for being Christian. But take heart friend, because if you follow Christ, you know that one day he will return and justice will come. Wrongs will be righted and we can take joy in knowing that those who have been martyred and persecuted will be greatly rewarded for their faith.
So if you haven't accepted Jesus Christ's gift of grace, that is his death on the cross for your sin, in your place, please accept it, make Christ Lord of your life and choose to follow him, because through Christ, life gains meaning, your labor has meaning because you labor for the glory of God.
Christian. life isn't fair. Bad things happen to good people. But take heart because one day, wrongs will be righted and justice will prevail. So don't let your work and toil be meaningless, but rather work for God, work to glorify him, work to love more, work to obey the commands of Christ, and through this, everything you do will have great meaning. John Piper in his book "Don't Waste Your Life" writes about a missionary couple who within days of arriving in Africa died when their car road off a cliff. Family was asked if they thought this was a waste but the family didn't. Their focus was on Christ and so even though this couple wasn't able to actually share the gospel with anyone before they passed away, they were still laboring for the gospel a much better cause than a job, a house or a cozy lifestyle.
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