I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 (NIV, [emphasis added])
Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, and it talks about life's true satisfaction. He tells us to FIND satisfaction in our toil.
toil (v): work extremely hard/incessantly
satisfaction (n): fulfillment of one's needs, wishes, expectations, or the pleasure derived from this
find (v): discover or perceive by chance or unexpectedly; recognize or discover (something) to be present
When we find something, that means it was not already inherently obvious. We exert effort to find something. Think about it: what was the last object you had to find, and why did you have to find it? Probably because it was lost. You had to exert effort to bring something previously hidden to the forefront, making it visually obvious.
Solomon tells us that in the midst of our extremely hard work, we must discover or recognize fulfillment, which is the source of a lot of our problems: We are lazy. We want instant gratification effortlessly.
We want the toil to feel good, and when it doesn't we give up.
We overly indulge in what feels good and reject anything that makes us uncomfortable. We become disappointed when we realize those "feel good's" don't fulfill or satisfy us. So, we resort to more potent means of feeling good: harder drugs, more sexual partners, buying more unnecessary things. And it becomes an endless cycle.
If only we would realize that the discomfort is what truly satisfies us.
Here are just a few of King Solomon's conclusions in Ecclesiastes, but I highly encourage you to read the book for yourself.
Pleasures are meaningless
There is a time for everything
Advancement is meaningless
Fulfill your vow to God
Riches are meaningless
Wisdom [is] better than folly
Invest in many ventures
Remember your Creator while young
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