“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. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.” (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19)

Solomon speaks against the foolishness of valuing money above all else. The person who trusts in wealth and all that it can provide and seeks it above all else will find no peace or satisfaction. Paradoxically, these are the very things we think money can grant us. If we only had enough money, we could retire and live a life of luxury and ease. If we only had enough money we would have no worries. The trouble is, the more we get, the more we want, and the more we worry about protecting what we have. And the more we spend on things that we think will give us peace and pleasure, the more we discover that they do not. And so we seek after more and we waste our lives away in pursuit of a mirage, a cruel and empty idol that we think gives us meaning and purpose but merely keeps us enslaved to doubt, fear and sin.

Such is the way of our culture, our world, the way many Christians buy into. But Solomon proposes a startling alternative. We are to be satisfied with what we have, enjoy our labor, our work and live a simple life. Such satisfaction is the gift of God as is what He gives us through our toil. Therefore the one who would be at peace in life will use what he has to glorify God. If we think life is all about ourselves, we forget that life is all about God and that everything comes from Him. We really should thank God for His gifts and use them for His glory.