“As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. ” (Ecclesiastes 5:11-12)
Solomon continues to describe the ways in which money fails to satisfy us. Now he points out how expensive it is to own stuff. The more you have, the more people you need to take care of it all. Solomon had to feed and clothe an army of servants to take care of his more and more stuff.
We do the same. We just call them repair shops and gas stations and insurance agents and cleaners and battery manufacturers and then back to the original seller when its time to replace the old stuff. The more we make, the more money we need to keep paying all the people to keep our stuff in good shape.
And rich guy Solomon envies some of those servants a little. At least they can get a good night’s sleep, he thinks. He lies awake worrying about the best way to take care of all his money and his stuff. Having money costs more money, more time, more energy, and more sleep.
Think: Have you ever thought about all the stress that comes with having a lot of money or a lot of stuff? Do you think that would make anyone NOT want to have as much money?
Pray: Ask God to give you a healthy attitude toward money and the stuff money can buy so you can avoid being owned by your stuff.
Do: As an example, compare how much it costs to buy a car with how much it costs every year in gas, insurance, maintenance, repairs, etc., to keep that car running.