Read: Ecclesiastes 5:9-20
It is good and fitting for one … to enjoy the good of all his labor . — Ecclesiastes 5:18
In a conference for Christians who were 50 and older, we were talking about work. After we studied the last few verses of Ecclesiastes 5, one person said, “I wish that someone had explained these verses to me when I was younger. Perhaps I wouldn’t have been so driven in my work. Maybe I would have relaxed more and let myself enjoy life.”
There is virtue in honest, hard work — no one would argue with that. But some Christians have the idea that work is all there is to life. To relax, to enjoy life, to spend a little of their hard-earned money somehow makes them feel guilty and lazy. So they keep driving themselves till they are stopped — often for health reasons.
The author of Ecclesiastes learned that it is “good and fitting” for us to enjoy the benefits of our work (Ecclesiastes 5:18). When he spoke of eating and drinking, he was talking about a joyous feast — a banquet with plenty of good food available and all the family gathered around to enjoy the festivities.
The Bible clearly teaches that God expects us to work (2 Thessalonians 3:10). He also wants us to enjoy some of its rewards. Whether the Lord has blessed you with great riches or just enough to pay the bills, take time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. — DCE
If you’re working hard to make a living,
Never taking time to smell the roses,
Now’s the time to heed the Bible’s wisdom:
Find some joy before your life’s day closes. — Hess
Work to live — don’t merely live to work.
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