“Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. This too is a grievous evil: As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind?” (Ecclesiastes 5:15-16)
Solomon’s number one reason that making money is a lousy life goal is so well-known it’s become a cliche: “You can’t take it with you.”
Even if you avoid all the other ways in which money disappoints – taxes, no such thing as “enough,” the high cost of owning stuff, the worry of owning stuff, the pain of spending, and sudden economic catastrophe – nobody gets by this one. Everybody dies naked and broke.
Why spend a lifetime hoping and wishing and scheming and working your tail off for money if, when the lifetime ends, you just leave it all behind?
But we still need money, right? So how should we work for it and think about it? Solomon will finally give us some positive answers to those questions starting tomorrow.
Think: The fact that everyone dies can either make life feel pointless or give the time we have on this side of eternity all that more meaning. Which do you feel more often? How does being a Christian change your response to the shortness of our lives?
Pray: Ask God to keep reminding you that money will always fail to truly satisfy you.
Do: Make a quick list of 3 things you can do this week that will still matter after you’ve died. (Note: This is not a trick question.)