What does it all mean?

Background

Why is it that we as people are so quickly drawn into the proverbial ‘rat race’ or ‘hustle’ or whatever name we decide to give it? Some of us set out with big dreams to change the world and with righteous ambitions to make a difference in the lives of others but before we know it we are caught in a cycle of working to live, chasing success and wealth and dreaming of bigger things.

As a precursor to my text for this message, I want to refer to some scripture from the same book.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 says “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, ‘Here is something new!’ But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.”

I believe that the book of Ecclesiastes offers some true words of wisdom for a generation lost in maze of material success. A time where fortunes are created from the most random things and these same fortunes are lost as quickly as they came to pass.

Reading

Ecclesiastes 2:18 – 26:

I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless! So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world.

Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy. So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless.

So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

Chasing the wind

As I always do, I will use my own life as an example. I am guilty of all of the above. I spend so much time focusing on the success of my various businesses and the thing that I am passionate about is what suffers. I have made and lost lots of money in my short time on this planet and I have come to realise that as quickly as we make it, we quickly lose it. Just to prove my point about the relevance of Ecclesiastes to this current world that we live in, I will refer you to Ecclesiastes 5:10-11:

“Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth – except to watch it slip through your fingers!”

I am not trying to shatter your hopes and dreams of a successful life; I am sharing the words of the man the bible says was the wisest king and also the wealthiest king to ever live. If Solomon came to realise that all his wealth was vanity and all his success was vanity then can that really be the path to a meaningful existence?

I have found that in life, when you have much, your focus often shifts to how you can accumulate more and how you can protect what you have. You become entangled in the trappings of your success, the status it gives you, the access it gives you and the ‘freedom’ it gives you but in reality, you have actually become a slave to your success and to your wealth. You have this image that you must now maintain. There is an expectation on you from everyone who has seen your meteoric rise and those who may we wishing to see your spectacular fall from grace. You want to prove to those who believed in you that they were right to do so and that you are the real deal. Then on the other hand you want to silence your haters and show them that they were wrong to ever doubt you and stand against you. So, all in all, you are spending the majority of your time servicing the view, perceptions and the expectations of others. Now you may say to yourself “that’s not me!” and if that is the case then I applaud you. I can only speak from personal experience and all I can say is that a successful life can be a very wearisome life.

Now am I saying that success is not of God? Of course not! I believe strongly that the Lord gives us the blessings and he gives us the ability to make wealth.

Ecclesiastes 3:9-13:

“What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.”

The fruits of your labor are reward of your hard work, knowledge and skill and Solomon says we should enjoy these fruits because they are gifts from God.

So, if there is nothing wrong with working hard, success or wealth then why am I saying that it is all meaningless?

As always, it comes down to a heart condition. Where is your heart? Is your heart in the pursuit of your success and your end goal of becoming wealthy and building an empire because if it is, you have missed the point!

Solomon starts Ecclesiastes 2 by talking about how he pursued pleasure because he realized that pursuing wisdom was futile. The wise and the fool both share the same fate, both will die. The same is true of the rich and the poor. Both will die and to drive the this point home I will refer to Ecclesiastes 5:15-17:

“We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.

And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.”

The purpose of wealth

Over the years I have come to conclude that the purpose of success and wealth is to make a difference in the lives of those around us who are not as fortunate as we have been. I for sure am not as fortunate as some of the people I went to school, college or university with. I am not as fortunate as some of the people I have met throughout my career who have made some lucky investments and can retire off the profits. I am not as lucky as someone who has won the lottery and I am not as lucky as someone whose skill and knowledge just happened to be recognised at the right time in the right place.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 says:

“I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skilful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.”

So if you have had the good fortune to become wealthy and successful, what is Solomon’s advice to you? Let’s stay in Ecclesiastes 9 and look a few verses earlier.

Ecclesiastes 9:1-10:

“This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favour. The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t.

It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!”

The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth. So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!

Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.”

Solomon tells you to enjoy your wealth, your life and your success. Nothing wrong with that, I agree that you should enjoy the rewards of your hard work. But after you have eaten and drunk your fill, what’s next? After you have bought your dream home and that luxury car and you can take those dream holidays, what’s next? The simple fact is that you cannot take it all with you so you can either watch it flitter through your fingers or you can do something else.

It is amazing that the richest and most philanthropic people in this world are not Christians. Why do I say that? I say it because God is no respecter of person. He gives and he takes away. He blesses those who he chooses to bless. Say what you want about certain people but I can categorically say that there are some people out here that amaze me with what they have done with the wealth that they have been blessed with.

Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet through the Gates Foundation have given out grants to the tune of $41 billion. Their goal is to end poverty across the world. They believe that every life is of equal value and based on that belief they have set out to do something to see all lives become successful.

Akon created ‘Akon Lighting Africa’ a charitable organisation that has helped 15 countries in Africa and 480 communities. Reports say that he has transformed the lives of 600 million African people.

Say all you want about Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent but he has set out to change lives with a proportion of his wealth. Every year during the Thanks Giving holidays and also at Christmas, Curtis does a turkey drive in Queens where he hands out food to families in the projects. He set out to feed 1 billion African children in 2016 and has supported numerous causes over the years.

I continually tell my daughters that a measure of a person is not how rich they become but rather how rich they make the lives of others.

This is now the driving principle of my family and our overall goal. With every business venture that is borne out of our household we look at how we can serve our community with that business. What can we do to make someone’s life better?

We are not wealthy, not yet anyway; but we have been blessed with the ability to make a good livelihood.

Our ethos to how we use what we have been blessed with comes from the lessons we have learned in Ecclesiastes but also from the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:35-40:

“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

‘Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

‘And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”

Let me say it again, there is nothing wrong with enjoying what you earn in this life. Lord knows that this existence is hard, it is testing and it is definitely hard work for the most part. But take pleasure in your hard work and use what you have to help those who do not have the same good fortune as you for you never know when fortunes will change. Whilst you have the opportunity make a difference in someone’s life. Even if you look at this from a self serving principle, when you give and you bless other, God blesses you. I say that with a caveat. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Do not give out of obligation or to rid a heavy burden from your heart. Give out of your free will, give because you feel led to give, bless because your heart is heavy for a cause or for a person/family. Be discerning and obedient to the spirit of God because he will guide you in what you do. You cannot bribe or buy God so bringing extravagant sacrifices to the alter are pointless shows of exuberance for the eyes of those in the temple rather than a genuine gift to God.

God does not need your money. What does the creator of heaven and earth need with the wealth that he gave you the power to create?

God’s desire for his people is for us to see the plight and the suffering of others and to use our blessings to make a difference.

Conclusion

So, what does it all mean? Where is the meaning in all the hardship of life? Where is the respite from the daily grind?

Ecclesiastes 2:24 – 26:

“So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.”

It all starts with the creator. It all goes back to finding your purpose in him. Your work, your career, your joy, your pleasure and your success; it all goes back to God.

As Solomon says, who can enjoy anything apart from him?

When you are the center of your own world then your world is limited and your only goal will be an endless pursuit of money, pleasure of both. Neither of these things can truly fulfill you or give you meaning in life. They are vehicles to help you through the meaningless days of life on this planet. As Christians our focus should be on eternity. Living in eternity with our creator and worshiping in the presence of his glory. In eternity where none shall need for money, wealth, work or success because we will be restored to his glory and the pleasures at his hand.

I don’t know about you, but God gives meaning to my existence. I want success not only so I can enjoy the fruits of my labour but also so I can transform the lives of people around me. I want to leave a legacy and to be remembered not for the money that I made or the businesses that I created. Rather I want to be remembered for the way that I loved those around me, those I came into contact with. I want to be remembered for feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, providing shelter for the homeless, comfort to those who are down trodden and hope to those who are lost.

This is the mandate that I have been given by God and my work is a means for me to achieve my goal. If my focus becomes only what I can do for myself then it is best that God takes away my success and everything I have achieved and gives it to someone else who will do what is needed with it.

As I have said, I have experienced both ends of the spectrum and I can tell you that the constant in all things has been God. By putting my focus on God I have been able to make it through the seasons of lack and to enjoy the seasons of good harvest. My prayer is that all who read this will remember that chasing success and wealth is like chasing the wind but if you chase after God, work hard and use the gifts he has given you, then you will have a blessed existence. You may never be rich but you will enjoy the life you have been given.

Ecclesiastes 5:18 – 20:

“Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.”