Workaholic or Fool

Workaholic or Fool

Read:  Ecclesiastes 4:4-16
It is a good thing to... enjoy your work and accept your lot in life - this is indeed a gift from God (Ecclesiastes 5:19).

Audio:  Ecclesiastes 4

Bible in One Year: Hosea 1-4; Revelation 1

There was a man who worked 70 hours a week. Fortunately, he loved his job. He brought home a nice paycheck and provided good things for his family. He thought, One of these days I'll slow down-but not today. One evening, he came home and his family wasn't there.  The kids had grown up and moved out, his wife had found a career, and the house was empty. He had been newly appointed as CEO. But he had made it to the top-alone.

When Solomon was "people watching," he observed a man who lamented at the end of the day, "Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?" (Ecclesiastes 4:8).  To avoid following in the wrong footsteps, we need to make three specific choices:

1. Choose contentment over achievement(Ecclesiastes 4:4-6). Solomon painted two extremes here-the workaholic and the fool. Then, in verse 6, he helps us strike the correct balance. Bible teacher Keith Krell paraphrased it this way: "Rather than grasping for so much it is better to have less and enjoy it more."

2. Choose relationships over riches (Ecclesiastes 4:7-12). If we're sacrificing relationships at the altar of success, we've got our priorities mixed up. Relationships make our work meaningful, rewarding, and enjoyable.

3. Choose wisdom over popularity (Ecclesiastes 4:13-16). Power and popularity are transient. No one will remain at the top forever. So we should hold wisdom tightly and power lightly.

Let's learn to experience our work as a gift from God, by enjoying it and accepting our lot.