Content With What I Have

Through today’s passage, King Solomon gives his readers a warning that comes through crystal clear: There’s danger in pursuing great wealth. Once you start to own it, it owns you. It also brings other things with it that you aren’t prepared to handle.

It’s kind of like the commercials from pharmaceutical companies. They promise incredible benefits during the first part of the commercial, but then at the end, the announcer speaks really quickly about the side effects. Things like: heart failure, kidney damage, or death. “Ask your doctor if this drug is right for you.” In 30 seconds you go from thinking, “That sounds pretty good” to "no way I’m taking that medication!”

Our world loves to show us all of the benefits of our hunger for wealth. But, in this passage King Solomon says, “The side effects of chasing wealth may include frustration, discouragement, and loss of hope.”

And since Solomon knows first hand about chasing wealth, it makes sense to heed his advice. If we do, it will spare us a lot of heartache and help us see how to live faithfully in this world that God has entrusted to our care.