Ecclesiastes + Minimalism: The Comforting Truth About "Everything is Meaningless"

Ecclesiastes has quickly become my favorite book of the Bible. And if you’ve read it before, you might be surprised to hear this. Many think it’s actually quite depressing, as phrases like “everything is meaningless” and “absolute futility” come to mind. But when understood in its entirety, it can actually be one of the most hopeful books in the Bible.

In short, Ecclesiastes explores the futility of life. It examines the purpose of life in light of the reality of death. It was written by King Solomon after he had accumulated all that money could buy — houses and vineyards, gardens and livestock, servants and slaves, gold and silver (Ecclesiastes 2:4–8) — and yet, he was left emptier than ever before. He reflects, “When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. (2:11)”

A pursuit of the wind. What a perfect picture of what it feels like to chase after the ephemeral — something that appears to have substance but turns out to be empty and fleeting. I’m using the Christian Standard Bible, but the NIV and other translations are similar: “everything was meaningless.” And again in NIV, Ecclesiastes opens with “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

Solomon speaks about wealth several times throughout the book, including 5:10: “The one who loves silver is never satisfied with silver, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile.” This is one of the many times the Bible speaks about wealth, contentment and simplicity.

He also discusses work, which he warns is meaningless and rewardless when done apart from God (2:18–26). And similarly, he explains that true wisdom is only given by God. And in order to increase in wisdom and understanding, we must grow in knowledge, fear and love of God. The book focuses on several other themes, many of which feel especially applicable in 2020.

Chapter 3 is particularly relevant to our world today, and it’s likely something you’ve heard before, whether or not you’ve studied the Bible. It says, “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: a time to give birth and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot...a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…” (3:1–4). During such an unsettling time, there’s great comfort in realizing both extremes are necessary. We live in a revolving carousel of seasons — some producing fruit and others sowing seeds. And it’s tempting to want to skip ahead from the plowing and sowing to the abundant harvest and feast. Yet we all know that a period of death during the winter is necessary in order to produce life during the spring.

The book concludes with a jarring truth: “absolute futility...everything is futile” (12:8). Solomon wraps up all his life’s findings with this solemn reality — that at the end of the day, we all return to dust. And nothing we had accumulated actually matters — including our bank accounts, our possessions, our social status, or our job titles. King Solomon, with all his riches and accomplishments, took absolutely zero of them with him when he died. And we are destined to this same fate.

But, thankfully, there’s some (very) good news. He ends the book with: “When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity.”

This statement is a lot like Jesus’ words in Matthew 22, when he was asked what the greatest commandment is, and he replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

This pivot from our earthly reality to an eternal one is subtle (and shortly lived, only taking up a few verses!), but sums up the entirety of the book: at the end of the day, our temporal pursuits are meaningless, while the eternal lasts forever. So while the majority of the book might feel like a downer with lots of depressing statements, this conclusion makes said statements all the more hopeful. It releases us from the pursuit of that which does not satisfy, while steering us towards true and lasting joy found in God alone.

In other words, Solomon lived a colorful life to report back with a loud and resounding: “don’t waste your time in a pursuit of the wind.”

I could go on and on about the ways this book relates to both minimalism and the state of our world at the moment (including the coronavirus pandemic, racism, etc.). In fact, the pandemic has taught us all about what truly matters in life, as many of our freedoms and comforts were stripped away overnight. And more than ever, we were forced to encounter the reality of mortality.

Strangely enough, grasping the brevity of life can help us live with more intention and purpose with the days we are given. I hope we can live today with the reality of death — and more importantly, the eternal — in mind.

Looking for more Ecclesiastes wisdom? She Reads Truth created a three-part series of the book on their podcast and a 21-day reading plan. And they even have study books for both their She Reads Truth and He Reads Truth readers. Who knows? After studying it further, you may even decide that Ecclesiastes is your favorite book of the Bible.