Life Sucks, Then You Die…Maybe Not
For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. - Ecclesiastes 2:16,17
Those are the words of King Solomon which he penned late in life. He was the son of King David and he ruled over Jerusalem from 970-931 BC. Solomon is noted as having wisdom beyond any other and he ranks amongst the wealthiest individuals to have ever lived. His net worth, in today’s values, is estimated to have been over $2 Trillion. Yet, at the end of his life he considered a life focused on attaining wisdom, wealth, and achievements to be nothing more than vanity, a chasing after the wind, a complete waste of time.
While it may be rare to hear someone literally express the thought, life sucks and then you die, terms like, life is tough, unfair, unfulfilling, and confusing will more or less express that mindset. Maybe not to the extent of a full blown life sucks perspective, but at a minimum from the perspective of there’s got to be more than this or a deep longing to have a greater impact. Which leans less toward life sucks and more toward life should offer more.
The truth is, if the wisest person who had everything and anything his heart desired, if he struggled with the meaning of life, there’s a good chance we will as well from time to time.
The Good News
The good news is King Solomon didn’t stop at 'everything is vanity.’ He instead continued his dialogue with a summary of what is important in life, which has nothing to do with wealth, or knowledge, or stature, or any other metric this crazy world we live in would label as success.
Let’s start with a few more arguments King Solomon made about why living your life focused on accumulating wealth, wisdom, and achievements can be a futile effort.
At the end of verse 16 in Chapter 2 Solomon points out that no matter how wealthy or wise you are, or how poor or unwise you are the outcome is still the same…we all will die one day. And as we are all well aware, you can’t take any of it with you.
Along that line of thought verse 21 of the same chapter points out since you can’t take what you’ve worked so hard to achieve with you, it’s all going to be left to someone who likely did nothing to help achieve all that wealth. And, as King Solomon points out in verses 18 and 19, you have no idea how that someone or someones will use all that you toiled to achieve. They may be wise and good stewards of it or waste it all away.
I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. - Ecclesiastes 2:18,19
With that said, King Solomon argues devoting your life to accumulating wisdom, wealth, and a long list of achievements solely to feed your ego and pride is all vanity and a waste of time.
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. - Ecclesiastes 5:10
When asked once, "How much money is enough money?" [John D. Rockefeller] replied, "Just a little bit more.” Rockefeller had an estimated net worth of over $400 Billion.
Let’s be clear, King Solomon did not say pursuing wisdom, wealth, and achievements are vanity, it’s the emphasis on or priority of those things that’s the problem. King Solomon uses the word vanity to simply express an unhealthy admiration of our own achievements. Which is the negative side of pride.
Having pride and being prideful can manifest itself in a positive or negative way. The difference is subtle and difficult to identify. The distinguishing mark is found in one’s focus.
Positive pride is the fruit, if you will, of a thankful and humble attitude toward the results or status of a process or situation.
Negative [arrogant] pride is a self-glorifying and self-absorbed attitude.
Source: Bound for Godliness, The Core of an Authentic Wingman
There’s nothing wrong with pride or boasting if it is derived from a humble heart. Paul boasted about the people in the churches he helped start. Not to say how great he was in starting the church, but how great was the work they were doing. James also warns about boasting out of arrogance,
As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. - James 4:16
Let’s shift gears and discuss how you avoid a life of vanity.
In summary, enjoy what you’ve toiled for, do what you say you will do, and share that with which you’ve been blessed.
1) Enjoy What You Toiled to Achieve
No one will, or at least they shouldn’t, argue that we shouldn’t plan for the future, financially. A good savings account affords the opportunity to help others while eliminating many of the stresses from the curve balls life throws at us.
But we should also not be so tight with our money that we never take time to enjoy what we’ve worked so hard to achieve.
Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. - Ecclesiastes 5:18-20
Take time to enjoy what you’ve worked so hard to achieve, just do it wisely and modestly.
2) Keep Your Word, Your Promises As Best You Can.
[Complete] what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not [complete]. - Ecclesiastes 5:4b,5
Take time to think through a commitment before you make it, but when you do vow a commitment be sure to honor that commitment as best you can. Very simply,
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. - James 5:12
3) Do Good For Others
I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live - Ecclesiastes 3:12
If you’ve been blessed financially, be generous with your finances. If excess finances are not available, be generous with your time. If at all possible, be generous with both your finances and your time.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:7
4) Love Your Spouse
Life will have ups and downs, times of joy and times of sadness, smooth times and rough times. In the midst of it all make every effort to love your spouse. The marriage union is God’s most precious gift whereby two become one both emotionally and physically. Marriage is ordained by God, and blessed by God, and, therefore, should be celebrated and protected as such by us.
Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. - Ecclesiastes 9:9
Relish life with the spouse you love each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God's gift. It's all you get in exchange for the hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one! - The Message Bible, a paraphrase bible
5) Pursue God and His Wisdom
There are endless amounts of knowledge to be pursued, pleasures to be experienced, promises to be kept, and investments in others to be made. But all of it will be vanity if we first don’t pursue God and His Wisdom.
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. - Ecclesiastes 12:13
Fear of God simply means to be in awe of and reverence for God. It’s a mindset of being thankful for the blessings we receive and a seeking of the peace that surpasses all understanding when the rough waters of life come upon us. Keeping His commandments is not about a list of rules required to be followed, rather it’s a relationship which you choose to honor and grow in by following those Biblical guidelines.
You can choose to live a vain life and die having impacting no one and nothing, or you can invest in others that which was given to you and in doing so, live an impactful life full of value, and purpose.
I suppose the decision is yours. Will you die having lived a rewarding life or one that sucks?
