Heartless Money

But in the long run it is perhaps even more apparent in our growing--for it ought to be growing--awareness that our whole being by its very nature is one vast need; incomplete, preparatory, empty yet cluttered, crying out for Him who can untie things that are now knotted together and tie up things that are still dangling loose.

C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

Read

Ecclesiastes 6:1-6. Take a few minutes and write down your initial thoughts on this section. As you look back at the verses, what leads you to write these things?

Think

Let's remember where Solomon is coming from: born in the palace to King David and his wife Bathsheba (a whole other story), 3rd king of Israel, offered anything his heart desired, chose wisdom, given riches as well, reigned in peace and prosperity, made treaties with surrounding nations, had hundreds of wives and concubines, led into idolatry by his wives, finally, his sons subverted his authority and split the kingdom. Solomon looks back over his life and writes his memoir, lessons learned throughout his life, and sees the evil of heartless money: Riches given by God but not enjoyed.

Chapter 5 ends with the value of recognizing God as the true giver of our material possessions and as the only One who gives us the ability to enjoy them. Even though we may recognize God as our provider, if we use our money and possessions to satisfy our own desires without regard to stewardship and generosity, our wealth becomes heartless and empty.

In verses 3-6, Solomon gives us 2 pictures of the emptiness of heartless money. First, we see a man who lives a long life, fathers a hundred children, but his family doesn't care enough about him to give him a proper burial. Second, a miscarriage. Both are painful, but Solomon says that the miscarriage is better. Life without God and meaning is worse than never having been born at all.

On the other hand, life with God is deeply satisfying, whether one has little or much. It's not the years in life but the life in the years. Only God can give us the wisdom to know what to do with what we have.

David Jeremiah, Searching for Heaven on Earth

Pray

Ask God to help you find true enjoyment in life. Pray that He will help you live well, as a good steward of the possessions He gave you.

Do

Spend some extra time with your family this week. Of all the things that aid in the enjoyment of life, good family relationships top the list. Fix dinner together and eat around the table, take your wife out on a date, roll on the floor with your kids, play a game that you all enjoy, anything that will enhance your family life. Money, work, and success are all meaningless without good family relationships.