Scripture Guide
Ecclesiastes 4
THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURE:
“Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed—and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors—and they have no comforter. And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves. Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. ‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked, ‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’ This too is meaningless—a miserable business! Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”—Ecclesiastes 4:1-16 (NIV)
For two years now, I’ve had a post-it note right above my computer on my desk. Each time I sit at my desk, I look up at my note and see these two questions: “What’s your life purpose? What’s your life’s attitude?” I feel like those questions get at the heart behind the message of Ecclesiastes. What are you really living for?
There’s a prescriptive way of living that’s instilled in us from a young age and it’s interwoven into how our culture operates. It’s called “the winner’s script” and goes something like this: You’re what you achieve. Your value comes from being ahead, admired, significant, desired, secure, powerful, or impressive. You must keep performing, comparing, striving, curating, and consuming.
Ecclesiastes says living like that isn’t only meaningless, but “a miserable business.” Pastor Jon Tyson says, “The winner’s script demands that we raise ourselves up out of nothing and make ourselves into something to which the world aspires and that it envies.” And Ecclesiastes 4 calls that “chasing after the wind.” According to Ecclesiastes, chasing the winner’s script is all vanity.
This is what Ecclesiastes 4 is all about: Life’s not about our status, our works, our retirement accounts, or even our status of employment. There’s another way to live. Tim Keller defines idolatry as “treating a good thing as an ultimate thing—trusting in anything besides God for your happiness, meaning, significance, or security.” There are so many good things in life, but when we make those things ultimate things and put them on the throne of our heart, we begin chasing the wind instead of chasing the one true God.
If you’ve found yourself chasing the winner’s script and you’re emotionally and spiritually exhausted, there’s still hope. There’s a source of power and strength, a source of identity and purpose that doesn’t depend on your status, your failures, or even your accomplishments. The gospel of Jesus tells us that even for all the times we’ve been faithless or doubting, He remains faithful.
And if you feel like you’ve been chasing the wind in life, I believe the gospel is actually the very thing your heart has been looking for this whole time. All the times you’ve been wanting to build financial security . . . that’s your heart longing for the provision only God provides. All the times you’ve put your identity and value in finding love and acceptance . . . that’s your heart longing for the true love and acceptance only found in the gospel. St. Augustine wisely said, “You have made us for yourself O Lord and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
Group Discussion Guide:
Pick your favorites to discuss with your group, family, or friends.
- Which piece of wisdom from this chapter most related to or applied to your week?
- Where do you feel the pressure to prove that your life matters?
- In what area of your life are you most tempted to believe that you are what you achieve?
- When you compare yourself to others, what does that reveal about what your heart’s really seeking?
- Have you built your life in a way that’s making you successful on the outside but lonely on the inside?
- What might it look like for you to stop chasing the wind and start receiving your identity from God instead?