Before the Striving

3 What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? Ecclesiastes 1:3

It is the kind of question that interrupts a hurried life.

A day disappears into messages piling up alongside half-finished work. By evening, there may be visible results. Yet the deeper question remains: What have I gained? Not merely what got finished, but who am I becoming?

Ecclesiastes does not oppose work. It confronts the illusion that work can save us. Achievement might bring validation and money can buy comfort, but neither will ever quiet a restless soul. Even recognition, as sweet as it feels, leaves us just as empty.

It is possible to accumulate more while quietly losing our peace and capacity to love. We master efficiency, yet find ourselves feeling distant from God, from others, and from our own souls.

You won’t find your worth at the end of the next accomplishment. It was settled in the love of God before your striving ever began.

Father, slow my heart. Teach me to live and work from Your love.