Ecclesiastes 3-6

(December 10, 2014)

                I love stuff, and most everyone I know loves stuff.  But I don’t really understand why we all love stuff so much.  I love having a bookcase full of more books than I can read and a computer full of more games than I have time to play and an entertainment center full of more movies than I should watch.  These things don’t bring me happiness, which I think that we all understand.  But what is even more confusing is that I continue to chase these things even though I know that not only do they not contribute to my happiness, but they actively diminish my happiness by my ownership of them.

                There is a certain amount that we all need to survive.  There is an additional amount that we can attribute to the fruits of our labors that continue to bring comfort and pleasure.  But above this amount, our riches begin to destroy us – and yet, we continue to seek them.  The only thing that I can think of is that when we reach this point, that is an indication that we have sufficient to expand our charitable giving – we are spending too much on ourselves.