What is a meaningful life? Let’s look at what this means in this excerpt from our upcoming book, “A Legacy Life Devotional.”

What Is a Meaningful 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? Generations come and generations go . . .” Ecclesiastes 1:2–4

It is perhaps one of the saddest verses in all the Bible. The writer of Ecclesiastes declares: “Life is meaningless!” And not just meaningless but “utterly meaningless!” And why is life so meaningless?

While some debate the authorship of Ecclesiastes, most agree that the writer was most likely King Solomon.

Who is Solomon? He came from a great family—his father was the famed King David. Solomon ascended to the throne, and he lived in a great era of peace. There was little strife during his reign.

• Money? Solomon had lots of it! The Bible reports that he received 666 talents of gold annually, or twenty-five tons.
• Fame? The Queen of Sheba visited just to be in the presence of his wisdom.
• Family? He had seven hundred wives.
• Activity? He did it all—building houses, vineyards, water projects, gardens, parks, flocks, and herds.

He boasts, “I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. . . .” (Eccles. 2:9)

Yet with all of this, Solomon sadly despairs, “It is all meaningless.” I’m afraid there are many who might share that same thought.

There are some still who run so fast in building their lives, their families, and their businesses that they don’t take the time to contemplate the reason why they are running so hard. There are others who are running away—whether through pleasure, medication, or numbness—that they never take the time to confront that nagging feeling that there might be more.

But there’s good news. Solomon doesn’t end with the meaninglessness of life. Instead by the end of Ecclesiastes he points the way to a meaningful life. A Legacy Life.

What’s a Legacy Life?

It’s a life of meaning, value, and significance. It’s a life that matters…a life that lasts.

How do you get there?

Solomon offers this challenge: “The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails. . . .” (Eccles. 12:11). Goads are like spurs—they drive us along to a destination.

Let’s jump into the journey of the Legacy Life.

O Lord, I don’t want the statement about my life to be that “all is meaningless!” I don’t want to build, acquire, and run so hard that I never stop to consider what a meaningful life looks like. Help me to take instruction from Your Word about how to build a Legacy Life.

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If you enjoyed this excerpt, keep reading about how you can help launch “The Legacy Life” this fall.

The Legacy Life

You are the hero of your family’s legacy story, and you need a guide to help you write that story.

Now it’s here in two formats:

The Legacy Life and The Legacy Life Devotional are available for preorder now!

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Build a legacy that lasts with these books, and learn how to get the audio version for free HERE.

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Bill High

Bill is CEO & Founder of Vyne Legacy. He works with families to equip them with tools to build multigenerational legacies, and he teaches givers and financial advisers on transformational biblical generosity. He is the co-author with David Green of Giving It All Away and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.

Published August 20, 2025

Topics: Family Legacy