One book of the Bible that I have had trouble reading is Ecclesiastes. It is so depressing. Solomon, with all of his God-given wisdom, is searching for the meaning of life down one path after another and finding the same literal dead end – death. I want to throw up my hands in despair and say with him, “All is vanity!” However, when I finally made it to the end his final conclusion gives me hope. “That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion. Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
Solomon’s gift was wisdom, not prophesy, so he couldn’t know that God’s mercy and grace would one day provide a way through that dead end into eternal life. Today, it is still our fear of God’s judgement, our need for His mercy and grace, and our desire to follow His teachings through His word and the promptings of the Holy Spirit within us that provide us with the true meaning of life. Solomon was right when he concluded the meaning of life is only found when we turn to the Creator of life and follow Him.
When we buy a new car or a new appliance if we are wise we read the owner’s manual from the manufacturer to learn all of the features and their uses. God, the Creator of all life, has provided us with a written manual for our human life – the Holy Bible. We would be foolish to put that manual in a drawer somewhere and try to learn the meaning of life through trial and error as we live it. His manual not only gives us instructions to get the very best out of our life; it gives us a history of human life that includes the mistakes others have made so we can avoid them. It even shows us that the wisest of men couldn’t find meaning in life without God.
As a Christian, I have found true meaning in my life in my personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That meaning comes as a result of God’s love. It is God’s unfailing love for me and my love for Him. It is through sharing God’s love with those around me and serving their needs that I have found meaning and purpose in my life. The Holy Spirit within us and our prayers to our heavenly Father through His Son provide us with a direct line to our Creator, but don’t be surprised when you are referred to His “manufacturer’s guide” for your answers. It is all there for us to read, understand and follow.