What’s the point of all earthly things: like gaining human wisdom, striving for pleasure and wealth, attaining greater achievements, finding the perfect job, gaining power and prestige, or finding political success? It’s like trying to nail jello to a tree. What’s the point? There is no point – if that’s our only goal in life.
This played out very vividly when I was a teenager. I realized the futility of trying to look better than I actually could. I did this by not wearing those stylish, black horn-rimmed glasses when in public if there was even a remote possibility of being seen by anyone young or old, known or unknown.
However, I did wear my glasses when driving. I usually packed two or three more girlfriends in my car than it could legally hold, and we would cruise University Avenue. Each time we came to a stop light, I would whip off my glasses and scrunch up my face trying to see what the boys in the car next to us looked like.
“Are they cute?” I would ask.
“‘Doesn’t matter,” they would answer, “because when you make that ridiculous face at them, they take off!”
I finally figured it out. I defeated the purpose for glasses. What was the point of having glasses for the sake of seeing better if I did not wear them? And it was futile to try to look better when I had to squint in order to see.
After Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, God obligated Himself to subject the entire creation to futility. Why? What was the point? It was because the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden from which Adam and Eve ate in disobedience to God was involved in man’s fall into sin. Thorns and thistles, weeds and woodlands are present-day evidence of nature’s historical futility that it was no longer able to flourish in its original perfect state. Man had to work to still retain some measure of dominion over God’s creation.
We may ask ourselves: “What’s the point of wearing non-medically approved face masks when out in public during a pandemic?” Or, When listening to someone ramble on and on about nothing, you may be tempted to ask, “What’s your point?” Or, A pessimist may ask, “What’s the point in living? I’m just gonna die anyway.” While weeding my flower garden, a neighbor may say, “You know you’re just wasting your time, don’t you?” The answer may not be obvious to another, but that’s not to say there is no reason for doing what we do.
I can reply with a smile, “It’s therapeutic. I’m learning to persevere and to be patient.”
Sometimes outcomes may not be immediately visible, like praying to the one true and invisible God. And yet, trusting in His Word gives eternal rewards – invisible to the human eye now, but absolutely a reality in heaven.
So be encouraged. Not all things are pointless. Learn to consider beyond the seen to the unseen.