THE PROBLEM WITH WEALTH

Ecclesiastes 5: 10-20

Contentment comes from Christ, not our wealth.

"I don't care about ... the money; its ... all the stuff."  – The Jerk

It's not the money, OR the stuff.  It's God!  – King Solomon, the Teacher

No amount of money can buy lasting happiness, and we can only find true contentment through a relationship with Christ.

The Bible has a lot to say about the management of money and wealth.  Solomon looked at wealth to see if it could be a lasting and eternal source of meaning for life.  Not just the pursuit of wealth, he looked at wealth itself.

His conclusion demonstrated that money, and "stuff" can bring some ease into our lives, but the ease is as temporary and fleeting as the money.  God provides all that we need, and our trust, like our money says, should rest in him.

Can you even find the person?

Solomon warned us that one who has the sinful (selfish) desire to be overly wealthy will never be satisfied.  Like a pathological hoarder, the more wealth the lover of money accumulates the more he or she feels they need.  An overabundance of "stuff" can become as chaotic and unproductive as a long-term hoarder's property–full of stuff and little of it really useful.

Some of the problems that Solomon noted in his investigation of the problem with wealth include:

• Wealth attracts moochers.
• In avoiding moochers, it encourages hoarding.
• With the fear of either loosing wealth, or the dissatisfaction resulting from hoarding, anxiety is stimulated.
• The sinful (selfish) drive to accumulate wealth can lead to risky ventures, gambling, foolish investments, and dumb debt.  Any of which may lead to the loss of the wealth and the assurance of a secure future that the sinful drive was seeking.
• Even if the adverse effects of risk are avoided, every is still going to die anyway.  Wealth offers no guarantee of security, but it can easily lead to frustration and isolation.  Where is the security in that?

Check out this listing of countries.  In 2015 the World Happiness Report ranked countries by wealth (GDP/population) and happiness (Healthy years of life expectancy, social support, trust, perceived freedom to make life decisions, and generosity).  

• How many "high-ranking" wealthy countries are on the "high-ranking" happiness list?  
• How many "high ranking" happiness countries are not on the "high-ranking" wealthy list?  
• Does this listing seem to indicate that being wealthy necessarily leads to being happy?

Wealth vs. Happiness

Countries ranked by Wealth                Countries ranked by Happiness

    1.  Qatar                                                         1. Switzerland
    2.  Luxembourg                                              2. Iceland
    3.  Singabore                                                  3. Denmark
    4.  Brunei                                                        4. Norway
    5.  Ireland                                                       5. Canada
    6.  Norway                                                      6. Finland
    7.  Kuwait                                                       7. Netherlands
    8.  United Arab Emirates                                8. Sweden
    9.  Switzerland                                                9. New Zeleand
    10.  Hong Kong                                             10. Australia
    11.  San Marino                                             11. Israel
    12.  United States                                          12. Costa Rica
    13.  Saudi Arabia                                           13. Austria
    14.  Netherlands                                            14. Mexico
    15.  Iceland                                                    15. United States

The Right Way

Work (purposeful mental or physical activity) and play (frolic) hard (intensely).  Solomon notes: "it is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward....This is a gift of God."

Enjoy life. Life is about more than what we can't do.  When we enjoy life, glorify God, and celebrate what he has offered to, and for, us we are glorifying God.  When we we live our life as an act of worship and in recognition that God has created all things for his glory and for our enjoyment, we can enjoy the reward, the gift that God has provided to us.

Be content. All we possess is a gift from God. Each is blessed with prosperity and enabled him or her to enjoy it.  This ability for enjoyment is our reward for our purposeful work for God as managers of his world.  Be content with the reward provided for the work done.  It leads to peace, joy, and security in knowing that God provides what we need and nothing else can.

Balance:  Equal pull, balanced Stresses – either way, there is stress

Harmony: Fitting together, agreement of feeling, concord, synergy between things you have to do with those you are paid to do.

1) Be clear about your purpose in life, your why.
2) Seek internal contentment not just external happiness.  Let God help.
3) Understand the seasons of life.  Priorities change with time.
4) Establish reasonable boundaries to keep you focused on your purpose.
5)  Pe present.  Keep your attention focused on your immediate purpose and don't allow it to wander into other worries.