Love Not Riches

Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.
As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?
The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits them no sleep.
I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
there is nothing left for them to inherit.
Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
and as everyone comes, so they depart.
They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.  (Eccl 5:10 - 15 NIV) 

Is everything as meaningless as Solomon would imply? Why all the years of toil, if it is to be gone in a second? Even if you have something to leave your offspring, how long will it last them? Do they have the skills to be good stewards of what is left them? Do they follow in the way that they should go so that all that they say and thing and do will glorify God? Will their inheritance be wasted away on trivial stuff - fleeting moments of pleasure rather than those things that will bring real joy (that is glorifying God)? Will they appreciate all the years that you spent earning and saving it for them?

This toiling after riches is meaningless.

That is not to say that work is evil. We should work if we expect to eat. But, it becomes very bothersome, even a burden, when one works only to amass riches. Amassing riches will not bring you the happiness that you think it will. Without genuine love; love as of God, there is no joy; there is no peace.

Jesus told this story to a crowd who followed to listen to Him: 

   “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
   "Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
   “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
   “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God."
                                                                                                                             Luke 12:17-21

Brothers and sisters, do not let your life go by without knowing the joy; the happiness, of genuine love. Do not allow the love of money to make your life utterly meaningless. Live life! Work hard at what you do; but, love hard as well. Love the Lord your God will all your heart and soul and mind and your neighbor as yourself. (Matt 22:37-39) Happiness is a bi-product of love. While you are yet making your journey through this world focus not on amassing wealth or power to the exploitation of others, but on living life abundantly loving one another so that God may be glorified.

And... may the peace and joy that is found in being in relationship with God, our Father and with one another, through His Son, Jesus the Christ, be with you always.  Pr. J