What Really Matters in Life?

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep” (Ecclesiastes 5:10-12).

What really matters in life?

King Solomon was described in the Bible as being “richer and wiser than any other king in the world” (2 Chronicles 9:22 Good News Translation [GNT]). That description is found in the middle of a whole section of verses detailing the extravagance of the wealth with which God blessed him.

For example, “every year King Solomon received over twenty-five tons of gold, in addition to the taxes paid by the traders and merchants” (2 Chronicles 9:13-14, emphasis mine, GNT). A quick internet search reveals that, as of the time this post was written, the current gold price is between $3,693 and $3,714 per ounce.

Curious to know the amount of Solomon’s income each year in today’s measurements? Even at the low end of the current price, it’s roughly a staggering $2.954 billion. And that’s just the gold. The Bible says that in Solomon’s day, silver wasn’t even considered valuable!

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.”

This rather blunt observation about the pursuit of money comes from someone who knew exactly what he was talking about through firsthand experience.

A quick look through the pages of Scripture dedicated to King Solomon’s life reveals that the man who was “richer and wiser than any other king in the world” was an idolater and a polygamist—altogether a poor and foolish role model for God’s people, whom he served as king.

Solomon’s life makes a better cautionary tale than one to emulate. Perhaps that was some of the wisdom God wished to pass on to his people through Solomon’s experiences and writings. Solomon was just as sinful as the next person. No amount of wealth or possessions could change that. Indeed, all of his wealth and possessions would do absolutely nothing to save him from eternal damnation.

Solomon was just as in need of a Savior as you and me. Only God could provide that salvation.

And God did—through Solomon’s descendant Jesus, whom God had promised to send to save the world from sin, death, and the devil. Jesus came down from heaven, giving up everything, even his own life, to give us everything.

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.”

What truly matters in life, dear Christian, isn’t how high we climb up the corporate ladder. It isn’t how much money we make or how many gadgets and vehicles we own. It isn’t how many followers we have on social media or how well-liked we are by our friends, family, and coworkers. Those things will never be enough. They’ll never satisfy.

What truly matters is our relationship with God.

God alone gives us exactly what we need: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation—freely out of his great love for us. He alone satisfies us. Whether we have much or little by way of physical possessions and earthly belongings in this life, we have everything we need with God.


Money. Possessions. School. Work. Life. The things of this world. At times, it can all feel empty and meaningless. In Your Life Has Meaning, Luke George Thompson focuses on themes and Bible verses primarily from the book of Ecclesiastes and the life of Solomon to offer you a practical guide to finding meaning in life.


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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.

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