Everything Is Hevel: How the Book of Ecclesiastes Changed My Life

If you had told me a few years ago that my favorite book of the Bible would be Ecclesiastes, I probably would have laughed. I mean, it starts off with “Everything is meaningless.” Not exactly the vibe you expect from a pastor.

But in one of the darkest seasons of my life, that line stopped sounding hopeless. It started sounding honest.

When Life Got Foggy

At the time, I was in a low place. I felt depressed. Disconnected. I couldn’t see where I was going, and I wasn’t even sure if it mattered. I’d go through the motions, doing what I was supposed to do — pray, show up, serve — but everything felt off. Nothing felt solid. And then I picked up Ecclesiastes.

This ancient voice wasn’t trying to sell me anything. It wasn’t telling me to just think positive or trust God and it will all make sense. Instead, it said something like, “Yeah... this whole thing? It’s smoke.”

And I felt seen.

What Hevel Really Means

So here’s the thing. The word “meaningless” that keeps showing up in Ecclesiastes? The original Hebrew word is hevel. And it doesn’t actually mean meaningless like “pointless” or “worthless.” It means vapor or smoke.

In other words, it’s not that life doesn’t matter. It’s that life is unpredictable. Slippery. Uncontrollable. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, it shifts. Just when you try to grab onto it, it slips right through your fingers.

Honestly, that described exactly what I was experiencing, and what so many people I work with are going through too.

Why That Word Gave Me So Much Peace

I know, it sounds backwards. How does realizing everything is vapor help? But here’s what it did for me. It gave me permission to stop trying to control everything. It gave me language for the fog I was in. It helped me stop forcing clarity where there wasn’t any.

Instead of trying to make life more stable than it actually is, I started asking different questions. Not “How do I fix this?” but “How can I be faithful in this?”
Not “What’s the formula?” but “Where is God, even in the fog?”

Letting Go Doesn’t Mean Giving Up

People hear “everything is hevel” and think that means we should give up or stop caring. But that’s not what I’m saying.

What Ecclesiastes taught me, and what I now try to pass on to the people I coach, is this: you can work hard, love deeply, pursue goals, and still hold everything loosely.

You can show up fully while admitting you’re not in control of the outcomes.
You can be faithful without having to understand every piece of the plan.
You can let go of striving without becoming passive.

And honestly, that has been one of the most freeing mindset shifts of my life.

God Is Still in It

The most surprising thing about Ecclesiastes is that it’s not hopeless. It just refuses to lie to you.

It admits that life is uncertain. That time moves fast. That not everything will make sense.
And still, right in the middle of that, it tells you to eat, drink, enjoy your work, be with the people you love, and fear God.

There is this quiet, anchoring truth underneath all the smoke. God is still here. He is still steady. Even when nothing else is.

If You’re in the Fog Too

If you're in a place where you feel like everything is slipping through your hands, I get it.
I’ve been there. Sometimes, I still find myself back there. And every time, I remember the freedom that came when I stopped trying to grip the smoke and started paying attention to what’s actually here.

This is one of the reasons I do what I do. Coaching and pastoring are about helping people get unstuck. Not by handing out answers, but by walking with them while they find their own.

So if you’re in that space, feeling overwhelmed, overthinking, or just plain tired, I’d love to talk.

→ Ready to make peace with the fog and find clarity anyway? Let’s connect.