Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 6: 1-12
“All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled” – Ecclesiastes 6:7 (KJV).
One can labour for his immediate and material needs and yet not find satisfaction. Fools only labour for this present life but at the end often fail to attain satisfaction because man’s appetite is insatiable. Until people learn to curtail and harness their appetite for things, they will keep striving and coveting for things at the expense of their life’s purpose.
Jesus admonished us not to labour only for the earthly things that perish but to labour for things that have eternal value (John 6:27). It is amazing how people crave and hustle for money and material things and give little thought to their life’s purpose and future. They fail to understand that a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of things he possesses (Luke 12:15). Eternal things should be our life’s priority. We should labour for God and his kingdom to guarantee lasting enjoyment of the fruit of our labour.
Laboring for souls and finding our places in the kingdom should be our all-consuming desire. We are admonished to labour in the word by giving quality time to meditation and study of God’s word. We should also labour in prayer and service to God, to the brethren and to humanity in general. Labouring only for ones stomach and pleasure will weary one, but laboring for God and his kingdom could be so empowering and fulfilling.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to labour for things that have eternal value.
Rev. Vincent Diolu