Deeper Reflection
ASK CHRISTIANS WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT COMES to mind about the book of Ecclesiastes, and the meaninglessness of work often pops up. Although this ancient book of wisdom was written between 2,200 to 2,800 years ago,¹¹ this theme still resonates with many of us today. A 2018 Channel NewsAsia article reported that Singapore had the lowest employee engagement rate compared to other major Asian markets and that up to 75% of workers in Singapore indicated they were “not engaged” at work.¹²Yet, Ecclesiastes actually tells us that it is not work that is meaningless, but work apart from God that is meaningless. It is worth noting that in verses 11 and 22 (which lament the meaninglessness of work), there is no mention of God. But when we come to Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, God is mentioned three times! It is God who allows us to “find enjoyment in all the toil” (Ecc 5:18). It is God who gives us the ability to “rejoice in [our] toil − this is the gift of God” (Ecc 5:19). It is God who “keeps [us] occupied with joy in [our] heart” (Ecc 5:20).Therein lies the pivotal difference! When we look at work from a human-centric perspective, work will always seem meaningless − no matter how passionate we may feel about our work − especially at times when we get tired, discouraged or bored with what we do. For if we attempt to find meaning in our work itself, it will ultimately elude us. What we need is to find meaning in the One who gives us the ability to enjoy our work!

---

¹¹ https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/who-wrote-ecclesiastes-and-what-does-it-mean ¹² https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/pointless-useless-jobs-disengaged-employees-lacking-motivation-810996 (accessed 2 Apr 2022). “Employees could perceive their jobs are pointless and stop seeing the value of their work, and this could in turn lead them to stop participating actively in their roles.”