Hoping to gain more wisdom in my life, I’ve taken a deep dive into the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes in recent days.

Ecclesiastes is defined as “the words of the Teacher”—someone wrestling out loud with what life really means.

It was written by King Solomon— maybe—who’s regarded in Jewish and Christian tradition as the wisest man who ever lived (think roughly 990-931 BC). His writings also include the Book of Proverbs and Song of Songs.

How does one become…wiser?

What do the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths have to teach us about wisdom?

I’ve gone looking for wisdom before—real wisdom—the kind that helps you through hard decisions, complicated relationships, and the unexpected moments that show up out of nowhere.

And yet, more often than I’d like to admit, I’ve leaned on my own understanding and paid the price for it. That tension—wanting wisdom but defaulting to something else—is what makes the story of Solomon so compelling. Here was a man who didn’t just seek wisdom—he was given more of it than anyone else who ever lived. And still, his story doesn’t end the way you might expect.

That’s because wisdom, on its own, wasn’t enough to anchor his life. He knew what was right—he even taught it—but over time his desires pulled him in other directions. He began to chase what looked good, what felt rewarding, what satisfied in the moment, and slowly his heart followed those pursuits. That’s the tension Ecclesiastes exposes: you can understand truth and still drift from it.

In the end, it wasn’t a lack of wisdom that undid him—it was what he chose to pursue, and who he ultimately chose to answer to.

King Sol wrote these startling opening reflections late in his life: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3)

Really? Meaningless? Do you believe that?

What about new love, or the cry of a newborn. What about watching your child take those precious first steps? A table full of laughter with people you love? Moments so good you wish they would never end?

A lifetime of those moments surely can’t be meaningless. And yet, as real and good as they are, they slip through our fingers.

We’ve seen it play out in public lives—Ernest Hemingway, Marilyn Monroe, Robin Williams—people who reached extraordinary heights and still wrestled with something deeper. Darker.

But this isn’t just about famous names. Many more are living quiet lives of desperation. Despite more access, more technology, more opportunity than any generation before us, millions carry a hidden weight. Depression rates are high. Suicide claims tens of thousands of lives each year in the United States alone.

Pretty grim. Ecclesiastes named the problem long ago: “Meaningless…everything under the sun is meaningless.” But the book doesn’t end there.

Later, in Chapter 12, Solomon writes: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

Solomon learned that left to his own designs, even his greatest pursuits would fade. He concludes that real meaning isn’t something we create by chasing success, pleasure, or recognition—it’s something we receive when our lives are aligned with God.

As Ecclesiastes makes clear, what we pursue “under the sun” can never fully satisfy. It’s like “chasing after the wind” (1:14)— striving for something that ultimately slips through your fingers. But what comes from above, Solomon concludes, gives life lasting weight and purpose.

Even beyond the Bible, this idea shows up. The Qur’an says, life has meaning—but only when it’s lived in light of God, not just the world. Further, it states:

  • Life is a test, not an end in itself
    • Surah 67:2 — God “created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deed.”
  • Worldly life can be distracting and fleeting
    • Surah 57:20 — Life is described as play, amusement, and temporary enjoyment that quickly fades.
  • Real meaning comes from remembering and submitting to God (Allah)
    • Surah 51:56 — Humanity is created to worship God.

In the end, Solomon says, it all comes down to this:

What we chase.

What we face.

And who we answer to.

More on what we face in the next post. For now, think 1960s, The Byrds, and their song Turn! Turn! Turn!—to everything there is a season.