Finding Purpose In A World Obsessed With Achievement
In today’s world, purpose is linked to personal achievement—what we do. We’re told that to live a fulfilling life, we must discover our unique purpose to do that which will give us meaning, and make our lives matter. Christians want to know what specifically God created “me” to do. We don’t ask, “What’s man’s purpose?” but, “What’s my purpose?”
But is this constant pursuit of success and personal fulfillment really what God designed us for?
In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon—the second wisest man to ever live (other than Jesus)—chronicles his own pursuit of meaning. As a king, he was able to explore every path imaginable: power, political authority, wealth, pleasure, DIY projects, wisdom, and countless women. Yet, despite his achievements, Solomon declared:
Ecclesiastes 1:2 … “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
I wonder how many of us have concluded that seeking meaning and worth in wealth, politics, TikTok, corporate success, and other acheivements do not lead to lasting satisfaction.
Really, the more we strive to find meaning through our successes and making a name for ourselves, the more we realize its emptiness. We set goals, chase dreams, and work tirelessly, only to find that the things we are led to believe bring meaning and purpose don’t.
As Solomon wrote:
Ecclesiastes 2:11 “I considered all my activities which my hands had done… and behold, all was vanity and striving after wind.”
None of the things we’re that we believe give us lasting meaning and purpose do.
None of the things we’re that we believe give us lasting meaning and purpose do.
Where, then, are we to look for the meaning we crave? Solomon’s answer may surprise some of us:
Ecclesiastes 5:18 “Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink, and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward”
Eat, drink, and enjoy the life that is before you. Rather than strive for some grand individual purpose that will make our lives matter, God invites us to receive His gifts as God’s love with grateful hearts.
Rather than strive for some grand individual purpose that will make our lives matter, God invites us to receive His gifts as God’s love with grateful hearts.
Solomon doesn’t espouse complacency but invites to see God’s grace in the ordinary moments of life, which, by the way, are what make up most of our lives.
Ecclesiastes 9:7 “Go then, eat your bread happily and drink your wine with a cheerful heart… for God has already approved your works… 9 Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you”
Solomon contrasts culture’s “law” of achievement—be someone important, do something heroic, break glass ceilings, win at all costs—with the “grace” of seeing God’s love in the ordinary blessings of life.
Solomon contrasts culture’s “law” of achievement—be someone important, do something heroic, break glass ceilings, win at all costs—with the “grace” of seeing God’s love in the ordinary blessings of life.
So, enjoy your job by accepting it as a gift from God. Enjoy your meal and a drink with friends or loved ones at the end of the day as a blessing from God. Enjoy your spouse as a gift for your own good. Delight in the beauty of New England’s fall colors, time spent in prayer, life group conversations, and being able to bless and help others—it’s all grace. And when life is crushing, this same grace sustains us.
As the apostle Paul writes:
1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”