Hope if You're Not Living Your Best Life Now

A quick internet search reveals that people are generally dissatisfied and are seeking solutions to, if not a better, at least a more bearable existence. Countless articles offer professional tips, promotional products, and personal recommendations in hopes of helping others achieve their “best life now.” But what happens when the “miracle pill” loses effectiveness or the updated wardrobe wears thin? What promised lasting happiness only provided temporary relief. We are back where we started, looking for the next thing to fill the emptiness we experience.

Our best lives aren’t meant to be lived today; the best is yet to come. As Christians, we live in the tension of our faith's “ here and not yet” reality. Christ’s work on the cross has justified us; we are sanctified through the power of the Holy Spirit, and one day, we will be glorified by the Lord in eternity. Knowing that we were created for eternity should change how we live in the present. Shifting our perspective from earthly (site-based) to eternal (faith-based), embracing eternity in the here and now helps us live more peaceful, purposeful, and plentiful lives today. 

Peaceful

If you aren’t familiar with Solomon or haven’t experienced the Book of Ecclesiastes, let me give you some background. The Book of Ecclesiastes is the teacher looking back on a full life. It’s a personal narrative of things he did well, pitfalls, general observations, and lessons learned. There are three main themes: time, death, and the idea that we can’t control life. Solomon’s words shouldn’t cause discouragement or despair. Instead, he hopes that by embracing the fact that there is very little in life we can control, we can lay down the way we think our lives “should be” and enjoy the life we have. We will be at peace with our present circumstances, knowing that this is not our final destination; God created us with eternity in mind! 

We can stop chasing all the lesser things and experience the greater things that the Lord has for those who trust in Him. The word meaningless, translated into English, is used 38 times in Ecclesiastes and comes from the Hebrew word Hevel, which means a vapor. Solomon uses smoke as a metaphor for life. Think about smoke; it’s tempting to reach out and try to take hold of it when it is thick. But what happens? Your hand slips through the air. Solomon wants us to understand life's fleeting or temporary nature; it is unpredictable, unstable, uncertain, and uncontrollable.  This thought process leads Solomon to expose and examine how we try to find meaning in life, but we can only find lasting peace in an everlasting God. 

Purposeful 

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet, no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”  These verses are some of my favorite in Scripture. I find such comfort in knowing that the ache I feel, that feeling that I am never really quite at home, is my earthly body longing to be in the presence of the Lord. I can stop trying so hard to prove myself, be validated by others, and say yes just because everyone else is doing it. 

Solomon says that this constant pushing, this hustling for more, the constant need to prove, only leads to exhaustion and burnout. And for what purpose? To leave a mark? We are eternal beings, so when we try to fill our lives with temporary things, it will always leave us longing for more. The hole in our hearts, our craving for significance, acceptance, and love, can only be filled by Jesus. When our identity is grounded in who we are in Christ, when we understand that we were created for eternity and that this is not our home; we are just passing through, we can release the chains of what we think our lives should be. Instead, even in our darkest days, weeks, months, years, and decades, we can thank God for the blessings and grace that he bestows and enjoy life’s simple pleasures, the glimpses of heaven we see on this side of eternity. 

Plentiful

While Solomon was known as the wisest man who ever lived, he made many rebellious choices against God. Not long after Solomon took over the kingdom, his first action was to marry an Egyptian woman, which God said specifically not to do. It’s a story as old as time. As his wealth, power, and influence grew, so did his idolatry, poor choices, and disobedience to God's commands. Like many of us today, Solomon was a man of divided loyalties. He had a genuine heart’s desire to do God’s will. In Scripture, we see numerous times that Solomon turned to God even in the depths of his sin. But this divided heart, the serving of two masters, ultimately led to Solomon’s downfall.

In the last chapter of Ecclesiastes, Solomon once again repeats the overall theme of Ecclesiastes: enjoy the gift of life today but live with the end in mind.   Solomon has spent a significant portion of the book encouraging us to understand the reality of our mortality. Solomon reiterates that while we don’t know all the details of the afterlife, we will face judgment for the deeds done in this life and reside for all eternity with the Lord or be separated from His presence. Do you ever find yourself thinking, “I am doing all the right things, saying yes to good things, reading my Bible, going to church, taking time to pray, serving in this ministry and that ministry—--, why am I still not satisfied, why am I not content?  Because following a set of rules changes our behavior, a life surrendered to following Jesus changes hearts.  

As Ecclesiastes wraps up the conclusion of the matter, there’s one last final he warns of potential consequences when looking outside God’s Word to find the truth. We don’t need to add to or subtract from God’s Word. What was written down is the exact information we need to live a godly life. A life that may not have an earthly payout, but the eternal dividends are numerous. The Christian life is simple. We make life more complicated than it should be. We spend so much time trying to “reinvent the wheel” and figure it all out. Jesus came so that we could have freedom from sin. It is by grace alone, through faith alone. There is nothing we have to earn or prove outside of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross—the gift to us of salvation. All we have to do is accept.

As long as you have breath in your lungs, the Lord still has a purpose for your life on earth— the question is, how will you live it?

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/FG Trade

Laura Bailey is an author and Bible teacher who encourages women to understand what they believe, why it matters, and how to apply biblical truths to their lives. Her recent book, Embracing Eternity in the Here and Now, explores how the timeless truths of Ecclesiastes help us live more peaceful, purposeful, and plentiful lives today.

She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her husband and three young girls, where she serves as director of women's ministries at her church. Her passion is teaching the Bible to women, equipping them to live with an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at your next event or learn more: www.LauraRBailey.com connect on Facebook and Instagram.