Another thing God might say to us…
More stuff does not necessarily mean more happiness.
Bigger often means more maintenance!
Solomon, the King of Israel, and one of the wisest men to ever live, went on a search for meaning. He recorded that search for us in the book of Ecclesiastes. In chapter two, he says this:
4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well-the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun. [TNIV]
For Solomon, more meant less fulfilled, less happy.
More isn’t bad all the time. But we can’t trust it to bring things to us that only God can give.
Could it be that like Solomon, we try to buy things that money simply can not buy? Things like love, joy, peace, and contentment? Those are gifts from God that can not be bought for any amount of money. They are given freely by God.
Can you relate to Solomon’s words here?
josh
Josh Scott 