Solomon’s income was probably over $200 million a year. He says, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure” (Ecclesiastes 2:10). But in despair he also wrote, “Meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What good is money anyway? A lot, if you follow a few simple rules:
• Work so you won’t be dependent on anyone (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12).
• Rely on God, not on your money (1 Timothy 6:17).
• Be generous and willing to share (1 Timothy 6:18).
• Store up treasures in heaven, not on earth (Matthew 6:19–21).
If money is the most important thing in your life, you’ll be miserable. But if God’s values are most important, and if his values shape the way you use your money, you’ll be happy indeed.
Toys. That tractor you loved when you were three. That game you played all the time when you were five. Your baby doll with all the clothes. A popular bumper sticker says, “The one who has the most toys when he dies, wins.” Some adults never grow up. Their toys just change. Solomon had so much money and power that he got anything he wanted. Later in life he looked back and decided everything he had was meaningless. Possessions hadn’t made him happy at all. Those who feel like they just have to have “things” haven’t grown up spiritually. It’s not the things you have, but the kind of person you are that makes life worthwhile.
I’m always waiting to be old enough to do things—date, get a job, drive, get my braces off. Will I ever be the right age to do the stuff I want to do?
Joshua
Dear Joshua,
Don’t wish your youth away! Did you notice that sixth grade went by faster than kindergarten? And eighth grade went by faster than sixth? Of course they didn’t really go any faster, it just seemed that way. When you were 5, a year was 1/5 of your life. When you were 10, a year was 1/10 of your life. So the more years you live, the shorter a year seems. The older you get, the faster time seems to pass.
Be happy for each day. Do the things this year that you can do, and when next year comes, enjoy new opportunities. But don’t be so impatient that one day you regret you didn’t take the time to enjoy each step. Remember: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Jordan
Many teens these days promise not to have sex before marriage. But studies show these same abstainers come down with as many sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) as teens who admit to having sex. Why? Because people lie to themselves about what is and isn’t “sex.” There’s more to sex than going “all the way.” Deep down you can read through what your friends think is OK. Girls and guys can be “technical virgins”—but no one who plays with sex can escape the emotional turmoil and emotional scars. And many won’t escape a sexually transmitted disease. So if you’re going to promise God to be sexually pure, keep your promise. Don’t pretend oral sex isn’t sex. God knows, and you know, that’s just a technicality.
Have you ever heard someone say something bad about you? Or have you ever overheard someone you like say something about you and then laugh? It’s hard not to be sensitive to what others say about you. Maybe sometimes you’re too sensitive. Solomon says, “Do not pay attention to every word people say.” He’s wise, because lots of times people say things they don’t really mean. If you think about it, you can probably remember times when you have said things about others that you didn’t mean. If you remember that human beings are weak and often say things they don’t really mean, it will help you follow Solomon’s good advice.
When Solomon wrote this book, he chose to depend only on what he could observe, and he came to an upsetting conclusion. It didn’t seem to matter how a person lived. Both the good and the wicked die. Before long even the memory of them fades (Ecclesiastes 9:1–6).
That’s what’s special about the Bible. In it God pulls back the curtain and lets you look beyond the physical. You learn that there is a very real invisible world. You learn that every person who has died still exists. The body dies. But the person—the real person, who thinks and feels and remembers—continues to exist.
You don’t have to be a Solomon to know that things aren’t always fair here on earth. But don’t be discouraged. This life isn’t the end, and God promises you “an inheritance” (1 Peter 1:4).
If God is “the Maker of all things,” why did he make you like you are? Oh, there are some things about yourself you don’t like? That nose just a bit off center? You have to study hard while your older sister breezes through school without cracking a book? OK, you’re not perfect. But that’s not the point. The point is that God, “the Maker of all things,” shaped you from the beginning. Instead of worrying about flaws, why not make a list of good things about yourself? You may not get a lot of things down the first time you try. But keep the list around and add things when you think of them. Then enjoy—and celebrate—yourself!
Ecclesiastes
What’s the Use?
Sometimes life seems meaningless. Especially when you turn away from God, like Solomon did later in life. But it’s not!