August 26: More Money, More Problems

Scripture
Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth, except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!
People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.
Ecclesiastes 5:10–12 (NLT)

Maybe it was Solomon who first coined the phrase, “more money, more problems.” Here, the wisest man to ever live reflects on the emptiness of chasing wealth as life’s ultimate pursuit. If you love money, Solomon says, you will never be satisfied. The more you have, the more you spend, and there will always be people eager to help you waste it. As the Beatles once sang, “money can’t buy you love,” and Solomon reminds us that it cannot buy you happiness either.

Those who chase after get-rich-quick schemes are rarely at peace. Their restless striving leaves them anxious and exhausted. But those who live with integrity, working hard and trusting God’s provision, are able to lay their heads down at night and truly rest. Peace does not come from wealth. It comes from knowing the Lord will take care of you.

Money is fleeting, and Solomon reminds us that it slips through our fingers more quickly than we realize. If it becomes your master, it will never stop demanding more. Jesus warned us that no one can serve two masters. We will either try to use God to try to gain more wealth, or we will love God and learn to use wealth as a tool for His glory. The real test is not how much we have, but whether our hearts are free enough to serve Him with it.

This wisdom passage should get us to consider our own relationship with money. Do we see it as the source of security, or do we see it as a gift from God to be stewarded for His Kingdom? True joy is not found in possessions but in the presence of God. If we live with open hands, working faithfully and trusting His provision, we will not only sleep well, we will live well. That is a life of freedom the world cannot buy.

Reflection
1. How have you seen the truth of Solomon’s words play out in your own life or in the lives of others?

2. What temptations do you face when it comes to loving money or making it your ultimate pursuit?

3. How might you use what God has given you, whether little or much, for His Kingdom and glory this week?

Prayer
Ask God to free your heart from the love of money and to help you trust in His faithful provision. Thank Him for what He has already given and for the peace that comes from walking with Him. Pray for wisdom to use your resources in ways that bring Him glory and serve others.