You'll have to excuse me while I go all religious on you for a moment ... (also, warning, but this post might be a bit of a downer. Then again, it might be uplifting. Who knows.)
This weekend, I read the book of Ecclesiastes (after Proverbs in the Bible). For me, it was definitely a page-turner; I wanted to find out what happened next. That's because I was so interested in finding the answer to what I see as the main question of the book: Why does it all matter? What's the point?
When depression hits, it can carry a feeling of hopelessness along with it. We ask ourselves what the point is, and it feels like nothing we do is actually worth the effort. I was so excited to find an entire book in the Bible that is dedicated to that struggle, and I wanted to share what I learned from reading it. It probably won't help in the depths of depression (logic doesn't have a home there), but I hope it will help you resist that feeling of intense discouragement, even if it is only a little.
If you choose to read the book yourself, the first thing you should know is that in the book of Ecclesiastes (meaning "The Preacher"), "vanity" is a word that means "transitory, empty, fleeting, unsubstantial, meaningless" — i.e., pointless. Also, "under the sun," is the writer's pretty way of saying, "in this life, before we die."
I found five reasons why, according to the writer, the things I do actually matter:
Reason #1: I do my work so I can enjoy it and the blessings/fruits that come from it.
Everyone dies, so why bother working or being productive at all? 3:22 says, "Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion ..." The Little Red Hen strikes again! I have the right and privilege to work and enjoy what comes of it. There is a point to what I do because I can see the consequences, and they are worth it.
Reason #2: If I work hard, I can give to others.
I came naked into this world, and I'm going out with that same number of material possessions. Why bother working my butt off to get money that doesn't help me squat after I'm dead? ... Something tells me ancient Egyptians did not have to deal with this problem while they were alive. 5:12-13 says, "The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt." Let's face it: Life is better when I am working. It gives me something productive to do. As for the fruits of my labor, they are meant not only for me, but for those around me. By working hard at life, I have a chance to be a benefit to the people around me.
Reason #3: My trials will allow me to empathize with and help others.
I work hard, but money still runs out. I give to others, but I can't solve their problems. It looks like there is no end to the sadness, and nothing I do will have a lasting effect. 7:3 says, "Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better." Verse 19 goes on to say, "Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city." No, it isn't better to be sad than to be happy. But when I think about the people I know who are wise, who are the most helpful to me emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually, they are the people who have faced a lot of hard times, and those hard times are what make them the wise and loving people they are. They can empathize with others because of what they have been through. I love the image of one wise person being better for those around them than ten people who appear to be strong, but really aren't in strong in the things that matter. If I go through tough times victoriously, I will be able to help others come out victorious, too.
Reason #4: God has a purpose for everything, even if I can't see it.
It sometimes seems like nothing I do or anyone else does matters in the grand scheme of things. The world doesn't actually get better and my existence is meaningless, no matter how hard I try. 8:16-17 says, "When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: ... Then I beheld all the work of God ..." There's only one person I know who knows the future, and that is God. He has things under control, and there is a purpose to everything He does or allows to happen. It may hurt, and I may not see clearly the end goal, but there is one. I'm not currently angry about any trial I have had to undergo in the past; during the trial itself, I may have been, but hindsight is 20/20. If God had sat down with me before each trial and outlined what would happen, when it would end, and how I would grow and learn, I know I would have given every one of those trials my stamp of approval. This way takes more faith, but that faith is a source of hope when I exercise it.
Reason #5: I need to take care of my loved ones. Relationships make life livable.
People are going to forget me after I die. 10:18 says, "By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through." I have people who love me and who depend on me, and by continuing to try, I can help them. The only things that will continue on after me are my loved ones. They will continue to live and go through both hard times and good times, and they will go on to help others just as I have helped them. One thing I can leave behind are things that will improve their lives, whether that be good memories, a feeling of love, material possessions, wisdom, or anything else. The things I do matter because they affect others, always, whether the effect is good or bad. Relationships are important — 4:9-10, "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up." And who knows what will happen after you die? The possibilities for good are endless. The best thing you can do is try to provide for the future happiness of those you love.
A final note from Ecclesiastes: 8:15, "Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun." --> Life matters because of the happy moments! The things we do matter because they make us and others happy!
