Solomon sees that life is a rat race in which one person seeks to hoard more than the other. It is an endless exhausting endeavour because a person never feels he has enough. And the more a person has the more burdensome his wealth becomes. We become accustomed to a certain level of wealth and it is very difficult to go backwards once we acquire a certain amount. In fact, we become so dependent on the artificial emotional comfort that our wealth gives us that the acquisition of wealth has a way of engendering a deep fear of loss. Those who have little also have little to lose, but those who have much, have much to lose. The wealthy have a greater height from which to fall and the thought of it is unsettling, particularly because our wealth is always insecure. Solomon knew this well; he had to make many compromises to maintain his wealth. He worked his people so hard that after his death the northern tribes rebelled against his son Rehoboam and the kingdom was forever divided. We too should know this because, compared to most people in this world, we live like Solomon. As Christians we should make it our goal not to have more, but to be content with less. Begin by constantly being thankful for what you already have. Consider it a blessing from God.
Reflect on what you have and give thanks to God for all his blessings to you.
Read Ecclesiastes 5:8-20
