Ecclesiastes: A Motivation for Evangelism

Ecclesiastes asks the question that the rest of the Bible answers– “What is the meaning of life?” Whether people realize it or not, they wrestle with the same things that the author addresses. Do wisdom, work, pleasures, wealth, or honor bring deep and lasting satisfaction? Can we find our purpose in something here on this earth? Man-made religions seek to give meaning to life. Many do so through the teaching that a higher power will reward them if they do good while on earth. People who do not believe in a higher power will have to create their own meaning and purpose as a purely atheistic belief will result in a worldview that everything is meaningless. There are also many who live in the in-between– they don’t adhere to a certain religion and at the same time aren’t sure if there is a God or if that God is knowable.  

I think that whether they like to admit it or not, unbelievers have to wrestle with some thoughts that make them feel uncomfortable. They might feel guilt or shame for certain thoughts or behaviors and a possible sense of dread as they consider an afterlife. They may wonder if this life is all there is. They may feel a deep longing for something that they can’t quite put their finger on, and some days this may feel very heavy on their souls. 

Ecclesiastes helps give us compassion for the unbeliever, religious or not, as we get a glimpse into what it’s like to try to answer life’s deepest questions: Why am I here? And why is there something instead of nothing? Because of common grace, unbelievers can deduce that there is a God and there is a standard of goodness outside themselves, but without a spiritual mind, they cannot know who that is unless someone tells them the good news of the Gospel. So they go through life, like the author of Ecclesiastes, trying to find something that will give them a purpose for living. 

The good news is that if we have a relationship with God through Jesus, we no longer have to spend our lives chasing after the wind. We are created in God’s image and our goal in life is to please Him. We get to spend eternity in a sinless body in the presence and kingdom of God. Wisdom, work, pleasures, wealth, and honor all take on a new meaning as we seek to fear God and enjoy the gifts he gives us knowing that He alone is enough.

Written by Casey Davidson