Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless; it is like chasing the wind. - Ecclesiastes 6:9
Solomon, king of Israel and author of the book of Ecclesiastes, had a reputation for wisdom. He advised people to be content and to receive their daily life from God’s hand. Complaining leads to frustration. In this book Solomon, the teacher, explains that although people cannot discover the whole plan of God for their life, they can still be obedient to what they already know is his will (Ecclesiastes 3:9-13). One part of God’s will is that we live a lifestyle of contentment with what he has graciously given us—no matter how much or how little.
Being able to enjoy what you have involves thinking about how you can make the most of it. If we would put our time and energy into enjoying what we have instead of dreaming “if only” dreams, we would find the potential for laughter, social interaction, and happiness right under our nose.
I have seen people all over the world playing games with their children with sticks, stones, plants and flowers, sand and rocks, food and drink, and simple cardboard boxes. In our Western culture, parents have an uphill battle to focus on the present realities, to creatively explore their children’s potential, and to refuse to join the world in “keeping up with the Joneses.” This is not an easy task, but the Lord wants to help us. So take the Teacher’s advice: “Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless; it is like chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 6:9).
For Further Study: Ecclesiastes 6:1-9
Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.
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