Meaningless . . . It's all meaningless.

Meaningless . . . It’s all Meaningless and

chasing after the wind.

Tim Connor

Over 2000 years ago two books in the Bible were written by Solomon– Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes and both have been a big part of my spiritual development over the past few years, so I thought I would give you my very short take on the combined wisdom of both.

For two years I have focused every day on my spiritual journey reading Proverbs every night and Ecclesiastes every morning.  And after almost twelve months it finally dawned on me that – yes – it took that long and yes - it’s all meaningless.  Let me explain if you have time, an interest or are just curious.

You are born.  You grow up.  You get an education.  You get a job or career or business.  You get a relationship or a marriage.  You have kids.  You go to work each day.  You play some, travel some, go to sporting events, take a few vacations and then you start all over again and you buy some stuff.  You live through a boom period or you suffer through a recession.  You attend graduations and weddings, or you share the pain with others at funerals and in hospitals. You cheer others on or blame them for your trials. You sell some stuff or throw stuff away then buy some more stuff. You accumulate things, experiences, and memories and over time some good ones and some bad ones.

You repeat some or all of the above for fifty or sixty years or if you are lucky you get even eighty or ninety years and then you die, and you leave all the stuff, memories, accomplishments, successes, failures, experiences and people behind.  It’s over.  So, what do you have to show for all of your effort, toil, time, sacrifices, pleasures, mistakes, and possessions? Nothing.

Yes, maybe you left behind wealth, things and a few memories for others but how do you value these now that you are gone?

Sure, you had some great years, lot’s memories and a house or garage full of stuff but how much of that is in the coffin with you? None of it.

Oh sure, a few people might remember you for a few years and a few others may keep some old photo’s of you on a shelf and yes, every now and then someone will mention your name or remember you in a conversation with someone but after that – it’s back to meaningless- it’s all meaningless – everything is meaningless.

If you are a believer and read scripture you might find the following interesting. If you are not, I’ll guarantee you didn’t even get this far.

But if you are still reading you might be starting to lose it and want to pick up the phone and call me or come knocking on my door to give me a piece of your mind.  Don’t bother – it’s all meaningless.

Yes, you had a lot of fun, saw the world, made friends, donated to charity, helped some people along the way and lived what you feel was a wise and good life.  OK, so now you are eighty and leaving here – so what was the point of it all.  PLEASE, I am not a negative or pessimistic person.  It is not my intent to come across as morbid or even stupid as the one who wrote these two books in scripture.

Let me blend a few (and there are a lot more I could discuss) life basic issues with some of the words of wisdom from Solomon. (PS; even though there were no universities, internet, and bookstores – he was a pretty smart guy). I’ll start each topic with a verse or two from Ecclesiastes and then give you my take on it.

The effort, work, and careers; 2:21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.

You work hard every day for a salary, to please customers to satisfy supervisors and bring home the bacon.  Year after year passes – a raise, a new office, a new title, a layoff, a new position etc. One day you retire or leave it all behind.  Past customers have died or retired too. The company is out of business or run by people you don’t even know.  You busted your butt for thirty or forty years and what do you have to show for it? The money you earned has gone into the cost of living, buying a house and a little fun. A few new cars, helping your kids or giving it to charity.  OK, so you did your part, you did your best – now what? 

It’s all meaningless.

Activities and projects; 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

You are proud of your new garden, remodeling your old house, taking up a new hobby or activity.  After many years you have now sold the house and downsized, the garden is now in the hands of others or maybe it isn’t, and you are now too old to continue with this new activity you started years ago due to health issues.  Looking back, was it all worth it? Sure, lots of memories, but was starting or finishing more important to you?

It’s all meaningless.

Money and wealth; 5:15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.

You work to create income, wealth, lifestyle and security for the future. Thirty to fifty years of effort, learning and sometimes even slaving.  Ever estimated your entire life’s income?  I have and it’s scary to think I earned all that much and blew most of it on – well I have nothing substantial to show for it.  Was I stupid?  Have got a large percent stashed away in bonds or cash or real estate?  So, what if you do – what happens to it all when you are gone – someone else owns it, the government takes it, or it just sits there and rots.  Boy Tim are you negative. Nope – just being real here – we own nothing while we are here – we use it, live in it, play with it and then someone else gets it and they do the same and then someone else gets it – get the picture here?

It’s all meaningless.

Life purpose and legacy; 5:18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot.

I spent years trying to create a legacy of trying to contribute to the lives and well being of others and hoped that someday I might be able to look back and say – yes – I did it.  Well, after writing over 80 books, several thousand articles, giving over 4000 speeches and seminars in 26 countries and giving away hundreds if not thousands of books to friends, family and lots of strangers – here I sit – no legacy, no fame, simple lifestyle, no friends (not whining) just the facts and what will I leave behind in a few years – boxes of unsold books, a computer full of articles no one read or don’t remember and a bunch of stuff that will end up at the junkyard – go figure.

It’s all meaningless.

Actions, decisions, and outcomes; 8:14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. 9:11 I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

It would be nice if we could control the future and our destiny with our choices, decisions, and actions but unfortunately will have its way with us sooner or later.  If you can’t surrender your goals, needs, desires, dreams even hope from time to time life has a funny way of saying to you directly or indirectly, “So, you think you are in charge? Watch me.”  Ever been there?  I have more times than I care to admit but, in the end, all we can do is work, plan, hope and then accept what we have earned or need to create what life wants us to leave behind, whether it will touch one life after we are gone or thousands.

It’s all meaningless.

Pleasure, happiness and fun; 3:12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 3:13 That each of them may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. Eternity vs. now; 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

Pleasure regardless of its nature or how you define it is always short lived and, in the end, we always wish it could have lasted longer or even had more meaning. There is nothing evil or wrong with wanting to have fun in life and be happy, the problem is all three, pleasure, happiness and fun are all inside-out responses to outside-in activities, people or situations and when these leave us or end for any reason we now have to wait for the next episode of any of the three hoping we don’t have to wait too long.  But someday we will look back trying to remember some of the happy, fun or pleasure memories we had and unfortunately, we will feel at a loss and often empty that we no longer have them or can even remember them in any detail.

It’s all meaningless.

If you are still with me let me briefly summarize – Life is short, there is nothing we can do while we are here to make our time here longer and what we do or don’t do and believe in the NOW will impact our life in eternity. You will leave everything, and I mean everything, behind when you leave here, and you will soon be forgotten by everyone for the life you lived. Yes, Mother Theresa, Billy Graham, Henry Ford etc. are still remembered by many from time to time but, there are the exceptions. And finally, it will all be over in a flash – you are here today and gone tomorrow – don’t believe me – chat with someone in their 60’s or 70’s and ask them how fast life has gone by.

Everything is meaningless . . . a chasing after the wind.