Many Americans and others in Western cultures live like the Millionaires of former days. I don’t have a million dollars, nor am I expecting to anytime soon. But compared to most of the world’s population, the average American lives like a millionaire.
Fifty years ago, flight travel was uncommon for most Americans. Not anymore. In the 1960s, the average home was smaller, cars were bigger, gas was way cheaper, and salaries were a lot smaller. As a nation, we now have more wealth per capita than ever. Yet, it still doesn’t seem to be enough for many people.
The idea that you live like a millionaire may seem hard to accept unless you’ve traveled to under-developed nations, which is what I call MOTROW (Most of the Rest of the World). But ask people who want to immigrate to the United States, and you’ll start to understand.
The ultra-wealthy
King Solomon, who was wealthy beyond comprehension and able to pursue as much pleasure as he wanted, realized the problem with pleasure and having all you want.
Way too many of us fantasize about what it would be like to be rich and powerful. Do you think not? Look at who and what we revere. Athletes and entertainers make outrageous amounts of money and live at a level we can only imagine. Likewise, CEOs of large companies receive huge salaries and bonuses and think they deserve it even when their companies lose money.
Many pastors and leaders of large ministries receive well-above-average salaries, even within the church. As mega-churches claim to build bigger and better buildings for the kingdom, the leadership feels more entitled to a slice of the pie.
This tells me we haven’t learned from the wisest and wealthiest king of Israel. The problem with pleasure and wealth is—it’s never enough.,
I thought to myself, ‘Now I want to experiment with pleasure and enjoy myself.’ But even this was pointless. I thought, ‘Laughter doesn’t make any sense. What does pleasure accomplish?’ (Eccl 2:1–2 GW) [context– Eccl 2:1–11 GW]
Things to consider
In these opening verses of Chapter 2, at least three things stand out.
- The abundant use of personal pronouns (me, myself, and I).
- A pursuit of pleasure without restraint.
- The voice of conscience.
These verses reveal someone who’s self-absorbed.
King Solomon was plagued with what could be called the “me, myself, and I syndrome.” Of course, this is common to American culture today, especially seen among younger generations as it was during the ’70s in the “Me Generation.” But, in truth, it’s an ancient problem.
Solomon says he intentionally pursued a carefree and pleasurable life, including wine, to the point of excess. He tried to live without restraint and tested the boundaries of excess because he could. And he justified living without restraint as his “reward for all my hard work.” (Eccl 2:10, GW)
What work did Solomon do? First, he gives us a list that begins, “I accomplished some great things…” (Eccl 2:4–8 GW). The pronoun “I” precedes each accomplishment Solomon lists. Though these accomplishments may seem desirable, they weren’t honorable in God’s eyes (1 Kings 11:6, 9 GW).
And yet, Solomon’s conscience prevailed throughout his plunge into pleasure and excess. His conscience helped him realize how his selfish pursuit of pleasure was “pointless… like trying to catch the wind. I gained nothing.” (Eccl 2:3, 9, 11 GW). When Solomon speaks of his wisdom remaining with him throughout his pursuits and accomplishments, he’s referring to his conscience.
This serves as an example of how we can suppress our conscience and even become numb to it. The apostle Paul spoke of this danger as well (1 Tim 4:2 GW). Our conscience is our God-implanted sense of right and wrong. It’s what C.S. Lewis called the Moral Law in his book, The Case for Christianity. Solomon’s life should prove to all of us how dangerous it is to ignore our conscience.
Some Existential Reflections
Reflecting on all of this brings to mind both a question and a certainty. How far is too far and beyond the reach of God’s grace? Once we step over a line, we can’t go back to the way things were. Whatever boundary we cross, whether good or bad or neutral, we can’t cross back over it as if we never had.
We have free will to make choices, but every choice has a consequence. Some choices are good and have favorable results, like treating others with kindness or exercising self-control. Other choices lead us to harmful or potentially destructive consequences, such as lying, hurtful words, or carelessness. Once we tell a lie, we need to continue the first lie with more lies or tell the truth. But just like hurtful words, we can’t take back the first lie as if it was never said.
Why our conscience is so important
When our conscience is grounded in the truth and wisdom of God, we are more likely to listen and heed its subtle warnings. But what if our conscience warns us not to cross a certain line, but we do so anyway? Eventually, the question comes up: How far is too far? Can we go beyond the reach of God’s grace?
The simple answer is that God’s grace is greater and more abundant even where sin is rampant (Rom 5:20 GW). Several current-day testimonies affirm this, as does the life of Paul the apostle (1 Cor 15:8-10 GW).
Pastor John Newton’s life is one of the most powerful testimonies of this. The author of the beloved hymn Amazing Grace, John Newton, began as a captain of a slave-trading ship known as the Great Blasphemer. He was raised in the Christian faith but led a life of disgraceful shame and vileness until his conversion. God restored him after he repented during a terrible storm on the ocean. Later, he became an influential pastor in England. But there’s so much more to his life story and why he wrote Amazing Grace. It would be best if you read it for yourself.
The power of God’s restoring grace
John Newton’s life illustrates the powerful restoration of God’s grace after crossing a line with great consequences. Once we cross the line with any experience, we can’t go back to how things were before. But we can go forward with God’s grace.
When a person tries to rationalize or deny their experiences in life, it is a futile effort. We cannot escape the age-old law of sowing and reaping. Good choices have beneficial consequences. But foolish or dangerous choices have destructive consequences. This is the reality Solomon expresses in the opening verses of Chapter 2. He did it all, so to speak, but realized it wasn’t worth it.
The implied thought is this: Surely there is more to this life than wealth and pleasure and excess, isn’t there? If you keep reading through Ecclesiastes, you can see how Solomon answers this and other questions.
Perhaps most importantly, learn from Solomon’s example of what not to do. If you find yourself crossing lines you shouldn’t, ask the Lord to restore you by His grace and to guide you by His Spirit to help you make better choices.
