“What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun?”
In today’s readings, this verse really stood out to me. What do people really gain from all the hard work they do here on earth? It doesn’t matter if you’re a fool or if you’re very wise, ultimately everyone’s time on earth will come to an end one day.
It’s not necessarily that our work in life is rather unimportant, but if your sole satisfaction in life is for the source of materialism or earthly enjoyment, then we need to revisit the “Why” behind what we do in our limited time here. I believe a question we must ask ourselves is, how can we work purposely for God in what we’re called to do here on earth?
Pleasures
Satisfaction in life is not driven from wealth, societal status, or material possessions. Material “things” can provide a brief sense of pleasure, but since it is part of the physical world, the pleasure lasts only a few moments and then the feeling of satisfaction vanishes, and we’re left feeling empty and hungry for more “pleasures”.
Satisfaction in life is driven by an eternal and genuine relationship with our Lord and Savior. God gifts us with the blessings and tools we need to live our lives wisely. Ultimately, we’re called to make right use of this life in glorifying God. It’s a holy righteous pursuit of using our lives here on earth to get to the Eternal Life with our Creator in Paradise.
Reflect
After reflecting on today’s readings, I’ve come across several questions which I believe we should all ask ourselves.
Am I truly glorifying God in all that I do, including the work that I do?
Do I work as if I’m working for the Lord? Or am I working for the gratification of wealth and material pleasures?
Lastly, what is God’s purpose for me in this Life? And what changes (if any) do I need to make in order to please him?
