Day 1: When Laughter Leaves You Lonely
Ecclesiastes 2:1-3 I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile. I said about laughter, “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” I explored with my mind the pull of wine on my body—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to grasp folly, until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
There’s a moment when the party ends. The last guest leaves. The music stops. The laughter fades into silence. And suddenly you’re standing in a room full of empty cups and leftover confetti, feeling more alone than you did before anyone showed up.
That’s the cruel joke about chasing pleasure as your life’s purpose. It promises everything and delivers nothing lasting. Solomon knew this. The richest, wisest, most powerful king in history threw himself a pleasure party that would make Vegas blush. Every laugh he could buy. Every thrill money could purchase. Every experience wealth could unlock.
His verdict? Futile. Empty. Meaningless.
Why does this happen? Because enjoyment was never designed to carry the weight of your soul. Think about it:
- That vacation you saved for months to take ends, and Monday morning feels heavier than ever
- The concert that gave you chills becomes just another memory fighting for space in your phone’s photo gallery
- The night out that felt perfect becomes the standard you’re desperately trying to recreate
Here’s what’s happening: you’re asking a gift to do what only the Giver can do. You’re trying to squeeze ultimate meaning out of momentary pleasures. It’s like trying to quench your thirst with saltwater– it only makes you thirstier.
But what if you flipped the script? What if instead of making pleasure your purpose, you found your purpose in the God who created pleasure? Then you could actually enjoy His gifts without expecting them to heal your soul. You could laugh without demanding that laughter define your worth. You could have fun without requiring fun to give you meaning.
The hole in your heart isn’t pleasure-shaped. It’s God-shaped. And only He fits perfectly.
Prayer: Father, I confess that I’ve been chasing pleasure like that’s what life is about. Forgive me for asking Your gifts to do what only You can do. Help me find my purpose in You alone, so I can receive pleasure as the gift it was meant to be. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Day 2: When Stuff Becomes Your Savior
Ecclesiastes 2:4-8 I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. I constructed reservoirs for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees. I acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house. I also owned livestock—large herds and flocks—more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.
Your Amazon cart is full again, isn’t it? That thing you convinced yourself you needed is sitting there, waiting for you to click “Proceed to Checkout.” You tell yourself this purchase is different. This one will actually make a difference. This one will finally scratch that itch deep inside your chest.
Solomon had the ultimate shopping spree. Houses that needed their own zip codes. Livestock that could populate small countries. Gold reserves that would make Fort Knox jealous. If retail therapy actually worked, this guy should have been the happiest man alive.
Instead, he felt more empty than when he started.
Here’s the problem with stuff: it promises fulfillment but delivers disappointment. Every single time. You get the thing, experience a brief moment of satisfaction, and then your heart starts whispering about the next thing. And the next. And the next.
Why? Because possessions can’t possess you back. That car can’t love you. That house can’t know you. That bank account can’t comfort you when you’re scared. You’re trying to fill a relational void with objects, and it will never work.
Think about your last big purchase. How long did the excitement last? A day? A week? A month? And then what happened? The shine wore off. The newness faded. The hole in your heart remained.
You know what’s tragic? We keep believing the lie that more stuff equals more satisfaction. But Solomon discovered what you’ll discover if you keep chasing this dream: you can have closets full of clothes but still not know who you are. You can have a garage full of toys but still feel empty inside.
The stuff isn’t the problem. Your relationship with the stuff is the problem. When you find your identity in what you own instead of whose you are, every possession becomes a false savior that can’t save.
But there’s good news. When you find your purpose in Christ, you can enjoy His gifts without worshipping them. You can own things without things owning you. You can receive generously without expecting your stuff to complete you.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I’ve been looking for life in lifeless things. I’ve tried to find purpose in the pleasure of owning things. Break the cycle of endless wanting in my heart and open my eyes to see that my purpose is in You. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.
Day 3: When Success Feels Like Failure
Ecclesiastes 2:9-11 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me. All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles. 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. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.
You worked so hard to get here. Late nights. Sacrificed weekends. Missed family dinners. You climbed every ladder, broke every barrier, achieved every goal. And now you’re standing at the summit of your success, looking around and thinking, “This is it?”
Solomon knew that feeling. The man literally had it all. King of the greatest nation on earth. Wealthier than anyone before or since. Wiser than Google could ever make you. His LinkedIn profile would have crashed the internet.
But success is a cruel magician. It promises to make you somebody, then leaves you wondering who you actually are. It whispers that achievement equals worth, then moves the goalposts the moment you cross them.
Here’s what happens when you make success your purpose: you become addicted to proving yourself. Every accomplishment becomes evidence that you matter. Every failure becomes proof that you don’t. You live in constant fear that people will discover you’re not as impressive as your resume suggests.
The exhaustion is real. The pressure is suffocating. And even when you win, it doesn’t feel like winning because there’s always another mountain to climb, another record to break, another person to impress.
You want to know why Tom Brady, with more championships than he has fingers, still felt empty? Because success can’t answer the question your soul is asking. Your soul isn’t asking, “Am I successful?” It’s asking, “Am I loved? Do I matter? Do I have purpose?”
Success shouts, “Work harder! Achieve more! Prove yourself!” But Jesus whispers, “You are loved. You matter. Your purpose is found in Me.”
When you root your identity in Christ rather than in your accomplishments, something beautiful happens. You can pursue excellence without demanding perfection. You can work hard without working frantically. You can celebrate success without needing success to celebrate you.
The difference is profound. Instead of performing for approval, you’re working from acceptance. Instead of earning your worth, you’re expressing your worth. Instead of chasing purpose through achievement, you’re living out the purpose you’ve already been given.
Prayer: Lord, I’m tired of trying to provide myself through my accomplishments. Remind me that my purpose isn’t in my success, it’s in You. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Day 4: Where Purpose Is Found
Colossians 1:16 For everything was created by him and for him.
You’ve been looking in all the wrong places, haven’t you? Searching for purpose in pleasure, meaning in possessions, satisfaction in success. You’ve been digging wells in dry ground, hoping to strike water that was never there.
Here’s what Solomon learned the hard way: your purpose isn’t found in what you chase. It’s found in who chases you.
Before you ever took your first breath, God was thinking about you. Not just thinking– planning, designing, creating. You weren’t an accident or an afterthought. You were an intentional act of divine love. The same God who spoke galaxies into existence whispered your name into being.
You exist because He wanted you to exist. You matter because He says you matter. Your life has purpose because He is your purpose.
But He didn’t just create you and walk away. When sin shattered the relationship you were made for, He came after you. Jesus left the perfection of heaven to enter the chaos of earth. He lived the life you couldn’t live, died the death you deserved to die, and rose again to offer you life you could never earn.
That’s how much you matter to Him. That’s how far He was willing to go to restore your purpose.
And now? Now He doesn’t just save you and say “good luck.” He fills you with His Spirit. He gives you gifts. He sends you into the world with a mission that only you can accomplish. Every day you wake up is another opportunity to live out the purpose He’s placed inside you.
This changes everything. When you know you’re loved by the Creator of the universe, you don’t need pleasure to validate you. When you understand you’re chosen by the King of kings, you don’t need possessions to complete you. When you realize you’re called by the Lord of lords, you don’t need success to define you.
Your purpose isn’t something you find– it’s Someone who found you. Your meaning isn’t something you create– it’s Someone who created you. Your worth isn’t something you earn– it’s Someone who paid for you with His life.
Stop searching. You’ve been found. Stop striving. You’ve been chosen. Stop performing. You’ve been loved.
Jesus is your purpose. And in Him, your restless heart finally finds its home.
Prayer: Loving Father, I’ve been running in circles, searching for purpose in all the wrong places. Thank You for creating me. Thank You for pursuing me. Thank You for redeeming me and restoring my purpose. Help me to live for You. I ask this in the name of Jesus, amen.
Day 5: When Everything You Build Falls Apart
Ecclesiastes 2:4-6 I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. I constructed reservoirs for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees.
You’ve been building something, haven’t you? Maybe not houses and vineyards like Solomon, but something. A career. A reputation. A retirement plan. A perfect family. A ministry. A business. Something you can point to and say, “I made this. This is mine. This proves I was here.”
Solomon was the ultimate builder. Houses that would make HGTV jealous. Gardens that belonged in magazines. Irrigation systems that would impress modern engineers. He created an empire with his bare hands and brilliant mind.
But here’s the thing about building when God isn’t your foundation: everything eventually crumbles. The house develops cracks. The gardens need constant maintenance. The systems break down. What took years to build can disappear in moments.
You know this, don’t you? You’ve poured yourself into something, sacrificed everything for it, and watched it fall apart. The business failed. The relationship ended. The ministry imploded. The dream job became a nightmare. The perfect plan became a perfect mess.
And you’re left standing in the rubble, wondering what the point was. All those hours. All that energy. All that hope. Gone.
Solomon felt that devastation. After building his empire, he looked at it all and called it meaningless. Not because building is wrong, but because he built for the wrong reasons with the wrong foundation.
Here’s what he discovered and what you need to know: anything you build to give your life meaning will eventually fail to do so. Success requires maintenance you can’t always provide. Achievements need constant defending. Accomplishments become yesterday’s news.
But there’s another way to build. When you find your purpose in Christ first, you can create and achieve and work without demanding that your work validate your existence. You can build beautifully without building desperately. You can pursue excellence without needing excellence to pursue you back.
When your foundation is Jesus, even if what you build gets destroyed, you remain secure. Even if your achievements crumble, your worth stands firm. Even if your empire falls, your identity endures.
Prayer: Father God, there are times that I build my life on shaky ground. When things crumble, help me to remember that my purpose is in the One who built me. I want my life to be about You. Let I be, I ask in the name of Jesus, amen.
Day 6: The Rich Young Ruler’s Empty Trophy Case
Mark 10:21-22 Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
He had everything. Good family. Great reputation. Serious money. Religious credentials that would impress any church nominating committee. By every earthly measure, this young man was winning at life. His LinkedIn profile was flawless, Instagram feed was on point, and trophy case was full.
But something was missing. Deep down, he knew it. That’s why he came running to Jesus, falling on his knees, asking the question that had been haunting him: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?“
Have you ever had that feeling? On paper, your life looks amazing. People congratulate you on your success, envy your achievements, admire your accomplishments. But late at night, when the applause dies down and the lights go out, you lie awake wondering if this is really all there is.
The rich young ruler thought he could add Jesus to his collection. One more achievement to check off his list. One more credential for his resume. “Tell me what to do, Jesus, and I’ll do it. I’m good at doing things.”
But Jesus doesn’t want to be added to your life; He wants to become your life. He doesn’t want a place on your trophy shelf; He wants to clear the shelf entirely. He doesn’t want to compete with your other priorities; He wants to become your only priority.
When Jesus told the young man to sell everything and follow Him, He wasn’t being cruel. He was being surgical. He identified the one thing that had become this man’s god and exposed it. Jesus was essentially saying, “You can’t serve two masters. Which will it be: your stuff or Me?”
The young man walked away sad because he realized he couldn’t let go. His possessions possessed him. His achievements had achieved control over him. His success had successfully enslaved him.
But notice what the text says: Jesus looked at him and loved him. Even as the man was walking away. Even as he was choosing his stuff over his Savior. Even as he was prioritizing his portfolio over his soul.
Jesus still loves you too.
Even if you’ve been walking away from Him to chase after things that can’t satisfy.
Even if you’ve been trying to add Him to your life instead of surrendering your life to Him.
Even if you’ve been more concerned with building your kingdom than seeking His.
The invitation is still open. The call is still clear. Let go and follow.
Prayer: Gracious Father, I know that sometimes I act like the rich young ruler. There are times where I try to have you and other gods too. Help me to see that You are what matters. Teach my heart that You are the purpose of my life. In Jesus’ name I ask this, amen.
Day 7: The Price of Getting Everything You Want
Ecclesiastes 2:8 I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered male and female singers for myself, and many concubines, the delights of men.
You finally got it. That thing you wanted so desperately. The promotion. The relationship. The house. The recognition. The lifestyle. You worked for it, saved for it, maybe even compromised for it. And now you have it.
So why don’t you feel the way you thought you would?
Solomon got everything. Not just some things or most things, but everything. Every pleasure money could buy. Every comfort power could provide. Every experience wealth could unlock. If there was a bucket list of earthly desires, Solomon didn’t just check every box– he bought the bucket factory.
But getting everything you want is its own kind of prison. You spend so much time acquiring that you forget how to receive. You become so focused on having that you lose the ability to be. You get so good at consuming that you forget how to rest.
Plus, there’s always the fear of losing what you fought so hard to gain. Every pleasure needs protecting. Every possession requires maintenance. Every achievement demands defending. You become a slave to the very things you thought would set you free.
Solomon learned what you’re learning: getting everything you want doesn’t make you want less. It makes you want more. The appetite grows with the feeding. The thirst increases with the drinking. The hunger expands with the consumption.
This is why Jesus said it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom. Not because money is evil, but because having everything often makes us think we need nothing. Including God.
But what if you approached your desires differently? What if instead of asking, “How can I get what I want?” you asked, “What does my wanting reveal about what I’m really looking for?”
That promotion you crave– are you really looking for security?
That relationship you’re chasing– are you really looking for love?
That recognition you’re seeking– are you really looking for worth?
The beautiful truth is that God offers all of these things, just not in the packaging you expected. Security in Him. Love from Him. Worth because of Him. And these gifts can’t be lost, stolen, or taken away.
Prayer: Generous Father, I know that nothing brings me fulfillment other than You. Help me to find what I’ve been looking for in You alone. In Jesus’ name, amen.