There is a huge difference in enjoying our work and living for it. In Ecclesiastes 2, King Solomon gives some practical insight to finding joy in a job.
Who was King Solomon? He was the son of King David. He was the President/King of the most powerful nation of his day (1 Kings 4:20‐21). He was the CEO of an incredibly organized political/work structure that made other CEO’s drool with admiration (1 Kings 4 and 10). Solomon’s income from his gold investments alone was $530 million/year (1 Kings 3:13; 4:20‐28; 10:14‐29).
6 INSIGHTS FROM SOLOMON ABOUT WORK
Work will eventually disappear (Ecclesiastes 2:17‐21). This literally happened with Solomon (1 Kings 12; 14:21‐31). An Italian proverb says, “Pawn and king alike, they all go back in the bag.” This is not to say that working hard for the glory of God in your job is a bad thing. However, ultimately, our work will disappear (2 Peter 3:10‐13).
Work will follow us home (Ecclesiastes 2:22‐23). Think about it. With phones and computers, email is accessible 24/7. And it continues to increase since many moved to remote work post covid. Creating boundaries is harder and harder.
Work can take advantage of others. (Ecclesiaste 4:1‐3). Solomon was an example of this. He used slave labor (1 Kings 9:20‐21). It was essentially a modern‐day sweat shop.
Work is an unwinnable race (Ecclesiaste 4:4). Maybe you’ve heard the phrase, “Keeping up with the Jones’.” There’s always a better “Jones.”
Work too little you will be ruined and if you work too much you will be ruined (Ecclesiastes 4:5‐6). John Capozzi once said, “The executive who works 14 hours per day will be both very successful and fondly remembered by his wife’s next husband.” Take a moment and honestly evaluate your work life, looking at the text, are you a zero-handful person, a one handful person, or a two handfuls person?
In the grand scheme, a promotion is meaningless (4:13‐16). Many can give testimony that a better job will not make you happier!
Solomon’s Conclusion Regarding Work. Work “under the sun” is meaningless, but we don’t have to live “under the sun.” We can work “beyond the sun” while on Planet Earth by reverencing God in our work and by obeying God’s commands regarding work. It is a good thing to enjoy hard work as you work for God (not man). Enjoy your work, but do not live for it. Fear God and obey His commands regarding work (Ecclesiastes 12:13‐14; 2:24‐25).
