I remember in high school, sitting in class on Monday morning and listening to everyone share their stories from the weekend. They would rave about how great the parties were and how much fun they had, and this would all usually end in the comment, "man, you're missing out Amy," or "you should have been there." I would respond by shrugging it off and replying that partying wasn't my idea of fun, and that I had plenty of fun on my weekends without any of that stuff. Honestly, I didn't want to be like them, because I knew God called me to be different. However, every so often, a thought would enter my head such as, "what if they're right? what if I am missing out?" Going home at 9:00 while the rest of your friends went to a cool party at a cute guy's house happened all too often and started to feel a bit old. But, determined to follow the Lord and not displease Him, I turned down the parties and kept my weekends G-rated. Do you ever feel like you're missing all the fun? I mean, you're only young once, so you might as well live it up, right?
Well, I would assure you that you're not missing out, but don't take my word for it. Instead, listen to King Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes 2. King Solomon had everything--wealth, fame, wisdom, royalty, and every possession he could possibly desire. If Solomon lived in modern-day, he would be the type of person to star in a reality series, because his rich and famous lifestyle is exactly the kind of life other people are fascinated with and envious of. In this chapter, he describes everything that he accomplished--he built houses, vineyards, gardens, parks, and ponds (vs. 4-6). When this got old, he moved on to possessions--he obtained slaves, the largest flocks and herds, gold and silver, treasures, and absolutely anything and everything he desired to own (vs. 7-8, 10). Solomon also had plenty of women for his pleasure; he mentions concubines in vs.8, and we know he had about 300 of these in addition to his 700 wives. However, none of this satisfies Solomon. In fact, he attests to the fact that all of this pleasure and materialism and ambition is nothing but futility (vs.1). Webster defines the word futile as, "serving no useful purpose: completely ineffective."
Solomon next talks about wisdom, which he possesses in abundance. He may be wise, but he shares the same fate as the foolosh man, so what's the point (vs. 14-15)? Solomon had lived an ambitious life and had worked hard for his many accomplishments, but in the end realizes they are meaningless. All of the riches he has accumulated will be inherited after his death and will profit him nothing. He realizes that he has spent his whole life "chasing after the wind" (17). This metaphor clearly shows what he has spent his life pursuing--absolutely nothing! Everything he worked to hard for proved to be meaningless and bring him no satisfaction. In the end he realizes that the only true enjoyment and satisfaction come from the Lord (vs. 25).
If anyone knows what it's like to be at the top, it's Solomon. I love this passage, because Solomon reassures those of us who are wondering if we're missing out on all the fun in life (by rejecting our materialistic, pleasure-seeking culture), that the rich and famous life isn't all it's cracked up to be. Only God can bring fulfillment and fill that void in our lives; when we chase after other things, we're just chasing after the wind. Solomon isn't the only one to experience everything there is to experience in this world and come back feeling empty. We see this all the time in Hollywood, when stars' lives spiral out of control as they seek one high after the next, only to end in rehab, addiction, jail, or death. They sadly never find what they're looking for, because they're looking toward the world to satisfy. Consider this quote from Transformers star Shia LaBeouf, who said:
"Sometimes I feel I’m living a meaningless life, and I get frightened."
"I know I’m one of the luckiest dudes in America right now. I have a great house. My parents don’t have to work. I’ve got money. I’m famous. But it could all change, man. It could go away. You never know.”
I hope you're encouraged by this passage of Scripture. If you are a believer, you are serving the only One who brings fulfillment, joy, hope, and peace. The next time you start to envy the wealthy high schoolers on "Laguna Beach," or hear your classmates boast of all the fun they're having without you, think of King Solomon. What this world offers is meaningless, and no, you're not missing out!
You can read the entire article on Shia LaBeouf at:
http://www.parade.com/celebrity/2009/06/shia-labeouf-mixed-up-life.html?index=1
