EcclesiastesSample

THE PURSUIT OF WEALTH

In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, he crafts a character named Ebenezer Scrooge. A miserable miser, Scrooge extorts others for his own gain and, in the process, lives only for himself. But by the end of the story, he realizes he is surrounded by beautiful relationships and experiences to be had. His perspective has been all wrong for so long. What really matters is not the money we possess, but the life we’ve already been given.

The Book of Ecclesiastes has a lot to say on the subject of wealth, as well as the human tendency to pursue it. Boiled down, this is the bottom line: “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Interestingly enough, it doesn’t take someone as wise as Solomon to realize this. In his article I Was A Multi-Millionaire by 27–Here’s What I Learned, Duncan Riach reflects on his experience. In his own words, he had it all: the house, car, marriage, status, and success. His bottom line? “Money doesn’t make you happy, and it doesn’t make you content either.”

It is telling that two wealthy men from wildly different time periods have drawn the same conclusion. In each account, they don’t list their achievements and possessions in order to brag but to give credence to their claims. Take it from those who’ve lived it already: despite its allure, the pursuit of wealth ultimately leaves you poorer. What’s the solution then? Again, both Solomon and Riach draw the same conclusion: enjoy what you already have. Solomon puts it like this: “Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot” (Ecclesiastes 5:18). And Riach? I’d encourage you to read the rest of his article for yourself.

The takeaway for us is to lean into the wisdom of those who have gone before and learned things the hard way. We know from Scripture that God is the giver of all good things and provider for our needs. We know that He has good plans for our lives and knows exactly what resources we will need to accomplish them. We know that He fills us with all we need to know and love Him and others. We know that there is nothing richer than the eternal future He holds for us. When we remember and act upon these truths, we are freed to enjoy what God has graciously given us in the present moment and give all the glory back to Him.

ASK YOURSELF:

1. Has it ever occurred to you that you are “rich” in Christ?
2. What has God given you that you can choose to enjoy right now instead of seeking after something more?