How Much Is Enough? — Ecclesiastes 4:4
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Until we’re face-to-face with a life circumstance beyond our control, it’s all too easy to think that if we work hard enough, pray enough, and trust God enough, we can fulfill our plans, hopes, and dreams. How much is enough in this life?
Striving for the things of the world is like trying to grasp the wind.
In Ecclesiates 4:4 we read,
Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
In this verse the Preacher is teaching us that striving for material goods out of a covetous heart and seeking worldly acclaim to be admired by others are like trying to grasp the wind. We think such things will bring us lasting happiness, but they can never satisfy us at the deepest level. In his book Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End, author and pastor David Gibson reminds us to appreciate the place and circumstances where God has placed us right now:
Live the life you have now instead of longing for the life you think you will have but which you actually cannot control at all. (p. 73)
Work is good, as it is the means by which we provide for ourselves, for those who are dependent on us, and for the needy. But, we can let vain striving overtake our thoughts and divert us from the most important parts of life.
Let go of the approval of the world and find your contentment in God’s will for your life.
True joy comes from loving relationships with our Creator and other human beings. Jesus warned,
“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13)
And the apostle Paul exhorts Timothy on the many dangers from chasing after wealth:
But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Tim. 6:6-10)
For what are you striving? Is it to bring glory to God or to yourself? What would you do if all your dreams and plans were destroyed? Would your relationships be enough for you? Would your peace in Christ be enough for you?
If you find yourself in circumstances that leave you feeling unraveled and out of control, know that God uses such times to turn your gaze to him alone. Let go of the approval of the world and find your identity, joy, and rest in Christ your Savior.
Related Articles:
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Recommended:
Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End by David Gibson