Chasing the Wind
- Larry Kutzler
- Mar 26
- 2 min read
Ecclesiastes 2:11 Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.
I find it interesting that the wisest man who ever lived found himself writing these words. You would think that intelligence, wisdom and knowledge would bring you some satisfaction as you lived your life, but for Solomon it as all chasing the wind. When a person reads the Book of Ecclesiastes you would think that Solomon was a little bi-polar, for one minute he was up and the next he sounded depressed. However, Solomon was wise enough to figure out that nothing we ever accomplished in this life would satisfy the human heart. No amount of wealth, pleasure, fame, or popularity would satisfy the human longing for meaning and purpose. Nothing profits a man from his own making until he discovers his purpose as a Creation of God. Solomon even says that life isn’t about how you start your life … it’s how you end it.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
Having a life with a strong sense of purpose and meaning is a great way to end life. Solomon also knew that nothing gets past God, and even if you can fool the people around you, God sees it all. Nothing will get past Him, and He will bring it all to your attention someday.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
This is another reason why people feel like their lives are chasing the wind. They live life as if there will never be a time of accountability, no one to answer to for all the hidden things they have said and done. They live with no hope, no sense of purpose, and at the end of the day, life really sucks. When you find your purpose in living for someone other than yourself, you find a purpose that is greater than you. Solomon, in all of his wisdom, saw this and penned:
Ecclesiastes 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.
When you know there is a God, and you find your purpose in reverencing Him, and keeping His Word you will discover a state of satisfaction in life and no longer feel like you are just chasing after the wind.