Life is fragile, fleeting, and often confusing.

One moment, we are here—breathing, building dreams, carrying responsibilities, making plans—and then in an instant, everything can change. We know the cycle well: we live, we grow old, and one day, we will die. Yet in the middle of that cycle, when we zoom in on the day-to-day rhythm of our lives, time suddenly feels too long, as if the ending is nowhere near, as if the journey stretches endlessly in front of us.

We easily get trapped in what feels like reality but is actually a distortion: the belief that life has to keep moving faster and faster, that we need to keep chasing something that never seems to be within reach, that we must constantly run in the race of life or get left behind.

But something happens when we zoom out. Suddenly, the decades ahead—fifty years, twenty years, or even ten—feel surprisingly short. We begin to see how small our lives truly are in the vast timeline of the universe. And for a moment, we realize that maybe, just maybe, the things we chase, the pressure we carry, and the anxieties we nurture are not as heavy or eternal as they feel.

Perspective Shifts in the Quiet Moments

Whenever I find myself inside a crowded train, surrounded by strangers rushing to work or going home, I am struck by how small I am in this world. I picture myself inside the train, inside a single city, within a nation, within a continent, inside this massive planet suspended in space. Then I think of how many tiny, sand-like details I worry about every day—things that will likely never matter in the span of eternity.

In moments like these, I ask myself the same question: If life is this short and temporary, how should we live? Should we still pursue things that will eventually fade? Should we strive for success, comfort, or recognition, knowing none of it will last forever?

These questions are difficult, and answering them is even harder in a world that constantly pushes us to want more, achieve more, and be more. We are surrounded by people who are always striving. We are immersed in an environment where busyness feels normal, rest feels suspicious, and slowing down feels like falling behind. It is challenging to remove ourselves from the noise of this world, even when we know deep inside that it drains our soul.

But God, in His wisdom and kindness, has not left us without answers. Long before we felt overwhelmed by life’s questions, He already spoke truth through Scripture. And one book that has always grounded me—especially during seasons when I wrestled with meaning—is Ecclesiastes.

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1. Life Is Fleeting, but God’s Truth Is Steady

When I first started reading the Bible in my early Christian life, Ecclesiastes immediately became one of my favorite books. Solomon’s words felt oddly comforting, even though they were blunt and sometimes painfully honest. His declaration that “everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind” sounded discouraging at first, but it opened my eyes to the reality that many of the things we strive for are temporary, fragile, and incapable of satisfying our souls.

The book confronts us with truth: what has been will be again, what has been done will be done again, and there is nothing new under the sun. It tells us plainly that earthly pursuits—success, wealth, recognition, accomplishments—will never fill the deep longing inside us. And even though those words challenge our modern mindset, they also carry a strange sense of freedom. Because if everything in this world is temporary and fading, then the pressure to earn our worth through these things suddenly loses its power.

However, Ecclesiastes does not end with hopelessness. It does not leave us hanging in the emptiness of life’s limitations. It redirects us to the true anchor: Fear God and keep His commandments. This is where meaning is found—not in what we build for ourselves, but in who we follow.

Solomon’s words remind us that our earthly life will end, but that is not the end of our story. There is another life waiting for us—one that is eternal, secure, and anchored in the presence of God. When we live with this truth in mind, our perspective shifts. We stop demanding the world to give us meaning, and instead, we begin to live for something much bigger, much higher, much more lasting.

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2. Finding Purpose Beyond Ourselves

Before I fully surrendered my life to Christ, I often asked myself: What is really the point of living if everything will eventually end? I tried to answer this question on my own, hoping that finding my calling, achieving my goals, or building something significant would make everything feel worthwhile. But every answer I came up with felt incomplete, as if I was trying to fill an infinite longing with something temporary.

When I finally met Christ, something shifted inside me. He removed me from the center of my own life. He freed me from the pressure of having to define my own purpose, create my own meaning, and justify my own existence. The weight of having to answer life’s biggest questions on my own was lifted from my shoulders. I no longer needed to know all the answers because I finally knew the One who does.

Living with Christ taught me that the purpose of my life was never something I had to invent—it was something already designed long ago by the Creator who formed me. My role is not to create meaning but to discover it by walking with Him. My purpose is not to chase after identity but to steward the life God has given me with faithfulness, humility, and obedience.

Maybe you can relate to that longing—to know what God wants for your life, to understand why you are here, to see the bigger picture. So many of us pray this way: “Lord, show me what You want. Reveal Your plans. Help me see the path.” Yet sometimes, the answer is not a detailed map but a simple invitation: Follow Me.

Your purpose is not hidden. Your life is not meaningless. God is not waiting for you to figure everything out. He simply wants you to walk with Him, trust Him, and let Him lead. When your identity is anchored in Christ, the question shifts from “What should I do with my life?” to “How can I honor God with what He has already placed in my hands?”

That shift is freeing. And that freedom is where true purpose begins.

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3. Living Light in a Heavy World

The truth is, life in this world will always come with worries, responsibilities, and burdens. There will always be dreams to pursue, work to finish, goals to reach, and challenges to endure. But God never intended for us to carry everything alone. Many of the things that make our hearts grow tired are things we were never meant to shoulder. Yet we often allow the world to convince us that success equals striving, that worth equals productivity, and that rest equals laziness.

But the enemy knows exactly how to trap us. He wants us to believe that what we need is the world—more achievements, more possessions, more status—when in reality, we were created to need only one thing: God Himself.

When I watch people striving endlessly, trying to outrun their anxieties or prove their worth through constant movement, something in my heart feels a deep, gentle ache. It is not judgment. It is compassion. It is a loving desire for them to know what I have found in Christ: that rest is not laziness, surrender is not weakness, and slowing down is not failing. I pray that one day, in God’s perfect timing, they will encounter the truth that has transformed my life.

Closing Reflection: Living With Eternity in Mind

The more we understand how small we are in the vastness of creation, the more clearly we can see how big God is. And the more we recognize how temporary this world is, the more we begin to value what is eternal.

Life is short, and we are but a breath. But in that breath, we have the privilege of walking with the God who created the universe—the God who sees us, knows us, and loves us deeply.

And that makes even the shortest life meaningful beyond measure.

So if you ever find yourself overwhelmed by the pace of life, remember this:

You were not created to chase the wind. You were created to follow the One who made it.

And every moment you choose to live with eternity in mind is a moment filled with purpose, peace, and divine rest.

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