Why does life sometimes seem to lack meaning?

Job 9:22“Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’”

Ecclesiastes 3:19-20People and animals share the same fate—both breathe and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust.

Ecclesiastes 9:2The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, . . . religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t.

If we believe there is nothing beyond this life, the inevitability of death can make life seem meaningless.

Psalm 103:14-16He [the Lord] knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here.

Ecclesiastes 1:11We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

Ecclesiastes 2:16The wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten.

Ecclesiastes 9:5The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered.

Knowing the dead are often forgotten can make our own accomplishments feel meaningless.

Job 7:6-7“My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle. They end without hope. O God, remember that my life is but a breath, and I will never again feel happiness.”

Job 14:1-2“How frail is humanity! How short is life, how full of trouble! We blossom like a flower and then wither. Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear.”

Psalm 39:4-5“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”

Psalm 89:47Remember how short my life is, how empty and futile this human existence!

Ecclesiastes 6:12In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?

Isaiah 40:6-7A voice said, “Shout!” I asked, “What should I shout?” “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people.”

James 4:14How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

Life is short no matter how long we live. And the brevity of life can make it seem meaningless.

Ecclesiastes 4:16Endless crowds stand around him, but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

The fleeting nature of worldly success can make life seem meaningless.

Ecclesiastes 4:4Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

Basing our actions on trivial or selfish motives can make life seem meaningless. We should keep our goals high but our motives pure.

Ecclesiastes 5:10Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!

Centering our lives on money and possessions leads to a sense of meaninglessness. Wanting more is an endless cycle.

Psalm 73:3-4, 12-13I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. . . . Look at these wicked people—enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply. Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?

Ecclesiastes 8:14This is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!

If we believe this life is all there is, the injustices of this world can make life seem meaningless because, for many, justice is never served.