“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God,
and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13

It has been said that King Solomon, the richest and wisest man at the time, wrote this verse. He was a man who searched for the meaning of life and tried almost everything the world had to offer. He threw himself into work, pleasures, the pursuit of acclaim,
personal achievements, wealth, and relationships, and still felt empty in the end. Imagine, this man of great wealth and wisdom finally concluded that his life’s purpose was to fear God and keep His commandments.

In a smaller way, I also walked down this similar path in my search for life’s meaning in the world. As I listened to, searched for, and followed the lies of the world looking for purpose, happiness, meaning, and success through education, the accumulation of wealth, and recognition, I too experienced emptiness and dissatisfaction. Someone once said, “The ways of the world will always overpromise and underdeliver because they will never produce lasting fulfillment.”

After I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior, I wasn’t sure what to do with my faith. If it wasn’t for mature brothers and sisters at ECC who walked with me in love, helped explain the expectations of a successful Christian life, and warned me of life’s obstacles, I am
certain my life transformation would have been very difficult. This is because there is no true satisfaction or meaning to life apart from the Lord.

This verse is specifically telling us that our main pursuit (duty) in life is to “fear God and keep His commandments.” What does it mean to fear God? For a believer, it doesn’t mean to be afraid of God, because we already know of His love, comfort, and promises. Instead, believers are to fear God by worshiping Him with honor, respect, and, most of all, reverence. For me, this means walking closely with God with all my soul, strength, and love. This life focus now becomes my life purpose and I can then learn, listen, trust, and do what God commands with the Holy Spirit’s help. It is my belief this path of pursuit will please the Lord and provide inner peace and joy in life.