Reading the Word

Ecclesiastes 5:10–12 (ESV)
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes?
12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

Understanding and Applying the Word

Money cannot fulfill our pursuit for meaning in life. Our reading for today gives us three reasons why this is so. The first reason is that money never satisfies those who covet it. They always desire more. The second reason is that money attracts “friends” who desire to help consume it. And the third reason is that having more money only increases anxiety and worry to the owner whose mind is always on protecting it.

Many of us spend our entire lives trying to earn and accumulate more wealth. We must ask ourselves how much we need before we are satisfied. Most of us would agree that money and material possessions are not the most important things in life, but we continue to live our lives as if they are. How do we learn to be content with what we have so that we can spend our time and attention on the things we would agree that really matter, things like time with family and growing in our walk with God?

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