Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. — Ecclesiastes 2:11
Several years ago, I was listening to an interview where someone described how they accomplished their success. As I listened to what they were saying, I heard a common theme that stood out to me. The person kept talking about themselves.
They shared all about their sacrifice and training. Throughout the interview, they spoke about how they had accomplished so much. But they claimed all the credit. They believed in their minds that their accomplishments were all on their own. Many years later, this same person was given another interview and shared a different perspective.
In this interview, they shared their accomplishments, which made them happy for the moment. Soon, they realized that the happiness faded. Their accomplishments were short-lived, and they needed to try to accomplish something else. They were continually trying to build something for themselves but realized that anything being built for themselves doesn’t provide true satisfaction.
This seems to be what is shared here. Although a lot of work had been done and a lot of wisdom learned, there was not real satisfaction found in the end. It was vanity, providing no real profit. This is certainly a warning to us all as we labor in this world that we understand where satisfaction can be found.
True satisfaction is not found in the things of this world but in God! It is found in living a life for Him, as opposed to chasing our own earthly pleasures. That does not promise an easy life in this world. It does, however, assure that all of our labor is not in vain. Rather than working for short-term happiness that will fade away, we should set our eyes on the things of God and lay up treasure that will last forever!
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