Society lauds those who are the best. It constantly heralds “Top Ten” lists. Everyone is ranked and compared to others. The higher up the list you are rated, the better you feel about yourself.
The writer of Ecclesiastes had excelled everyone. No one had accomplished more or accumulated as much. As he walked down the streets of Jerusalem, every person who saw him acknowledged that he had surpassed them all. Yet at the end of the day, he found this to be unsatisfactory. What did it really matter? Comparing ourselves to others ultimately leaves us empty. Being the best among our peers may win us acclaim for a moment, but that satisfaction quickly dissipates.
It is when we live our life in relation to Christ that the depths of our soul are finally satisfied. Though we will never equal or surpass Him in greatness, it does not matter. We are creatures and it is only as we lovingly relate to our Creator that we find true satisfaction in life. Merely surpassing our fellow creatures is transitory and meaningless. But achieving the pleasure of God on our lives; that is priceless.