“My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless,
a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 2:10a-11

Despite losing the Super Bowl to the New York Giants, Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady seems—from the outside looking in—to have everything: money, fame, a high-profile girlfriend, a winning team and Super Bowl rings. But what about on the inside?

I remember several years ago when Brady was interviewed on the show “60 Minutes." During the interview, Brady posed the question, “Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there's something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think, ‘God, it's got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn't, this can't be what it's all cracked up to be.” Then, when Brady was pressed to answer his own question, he responded, “I wish I knew.”

Like Tom Brady, Solomon was a man who had accomplished many great things on earth. However, when he stepped back to admire his achievements, reality set in. He realized that despite all of the things he had done, nothing gave him enduring satisfaction. He described his pursuits as “meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

Do you ever feel like there has got to be more to life than what you are experiencing? It’s a common feeling for many of us because God has “set eternity in the hearts of men.” We are not created to be truly satisfied with the temporary things of this world. It is only through a relationship with Jesus Christ that we can find the lasting fulfillment we are searching for.

Today, if you are trying to find peace and satisfaction in the temporary things of this world, I challenge you to surrender fully to Christ. Only then will you find your purpose and be fully at peace.

1. Do you ever feel like you are “chasing after the wind” in life? What causes this feeling?
2. When have you felt like you were doing something that had eternal value?
3. What step is God calling you to take today? (Pray about it.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Josh Carter is a former athlete and coach who currently serves on staff with FCA in Illinois.

In Jesus' name, Amen.