If I only had this then I would be happy. That is a thought that runs through the minds of many of us. Often we believe it is just that one more thing missing from our life that would truly make us happy. Maybe a spouse, house, car, job, vacation, dress, suit, watch, phone, camera, fishing rod, or so on. Whatever it may be, many of us have that one thing we look towards as what we need to finally be happy. But then once we obtain that thing and it doesn’t make us happy we move on to desiring the next thing we believe will. For the vast majority of us, we are unable to obtain any and everything we may want in life. But if we could have it all we would learn the same lesson that King Solomon did.
King Solomon was blessed by the Lord with more wisdom, power, money, and possessions than anyone before or after him. The Bible records how he always went after the next thing seeking what was meaningful. Ultimately though he was seeking what would make him happy. He even had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines according to scripture. Reinforcing the fact that he always thought just one more thing would make him happy but nothing ever did.
1 Kings 3:12–13 (ESV)
12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.
2 Chronicles 9:13–14 (ESV)
13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 14 besides that which the explorers and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon.
2 Chronicles 9:22–27 (ESV)
22 Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. 24 Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and of gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. 25 And Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 And he ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. 27 And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah.
Ecclesiastes 2:1–11 (ESV)
1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.
9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
1 Kings 11:1–3 (ESV)
1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.
Anything he wanted he could have and he could have it in the grandest possible way. Solomon truly had it all: money, possessions, fame, wisdom, knowledge, the grandest palaces, the finest horses, every woman he desired, and so much more. But he was still missing true happiness and contentment. Because as he learned first hand no matter what he obtained none of it made him happy. Instead, it only led him to desire the next thing he hoped would bring the happiness he sought. Yet in the end, he found everything to be simply meaningless. Like trying to chase and catch the wind.
Ecclesiastes 1:2 (ESV)
2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
King Solomon learned that though he could have anything none of it was able to truly make him happy. Which is the very same lesson we would quickly learn if we could have it all. There is no magic product, person, or situation that will enter your life and cause you to be eternally happy. Nothing in this world will solve all your problems no matter how great others may make something seem.
Not even having everything will satisfy you because it doesn’t satisfy anyone. Instead, they just keep chasing more and more hoping that one day they will find what doesn’t exist in this world. Take the time to look at those in our world who seem to have it all and this becomes all the more apparent.
Celebrities who could have or do anything but still take their lives because they can’t find the one thing that will make them happy. Billionaires that keep chasing just one more dollar, one more venture, or one more accomplishment. Spending lives searching for something to make them happy but only finding again and again that nothing they are able to obtain offers lasting happiness.
The scary truth is that King Solomon was right when he said everything under the sun is meaningless. That is if you have no relationship with God. Because only God is able to bring lasting hope, joy, peace, security, and overall happiness in your life. Nothing you can obtain in this world is able to do that but God can. If you will only take your faith out of possessions and people. Placing all your trust in Him alone.
Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Romans 15:13 (ESV)
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
John 3:16 (ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Isaiah 26:3–4 (ESV)
3 You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
That is why those who have all our world has to offer are not happy while those who have nothing except faith in God live in happiness. According to our culture’s mindset, this is backward. But life proves it to be true. Most of us will never be able to have everything but that is just the reason God gave Solomon everything. He acts as our example and shows that no matter what you get it won’t provide lasting happiness even if you have all the world can offer. The same lesson we can learn from taking the time to observe all that plagues the rich living in our world today.
The happiness that comes from God vastly differs from that that can come from possessions because it never fades. Nothing can ever take it away or alter it. Treasures on earth can burn and erode but treasure in heaven never will. That’s why the toughest situations can be met with gladness by those of faith. All because what they have comes from above and not below. Because their trust is in a God who is greater than anything else. It happens that comes from knowing God can use any situation for good even if it seems bad. As well as knowing that the glory in heaven will far outshine any bad face on earth.
Matthew 6:19–21 (ESV)
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:18 (ESV)
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
The Bible also teaches us that godliness with contentment is great gain and that we should be content because we have God. With God, we’ll always have enough. He will provide for us just as he provides for the birds and the flowers. Seeking Him first will result in our needs being met. With God, we may not have everything but we will always have enough. Which is in itself a reason to be happy.
1 Timothy 6:6 (ESV)
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain,
Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)
5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
It is easy to think that getting just that one last thing will solve your problems and provide you lasting happiness. But the truth is it simply won’t. Just look back at all the things that came before it you hoped would make you happy but didn’t. What makes this thing any different than all those other things? The simple answer is nothing. No one item or even every item this world has to offer is ever going to provide lasting happiness.
Like Solomon and the many living in multiple mansions around the world, you would learn this if you could have it all. The desire for one more thing never ceases no matter how much you get and the momentary blip of happiness fades quicker and quicker. Possessions will fade, people will hurt you, good situations will change, and so on. But in that knowledge God is able to provide lasting happiness and He never changes.
Hebrews 13:8 (ESV)
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Isaiah 40:8 (ESV)
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
James 1:17 (ESV)
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
So if you are tired of searching. If you are tired of being hurt by the things of this world. Then turn away from the world and to God. The very one who wants to offer you life-saving salvation that will provide you with happiness in this life and the one to come. Happiness that stays through any storm, conquers any circumstance and brings the ability to finally be content with what you have. Don’t waste your life trying to have it all to only learn that it is all meaningless. Instead, do the only things that are able to provide lasting happiness and place your faith in the one who gave His life for you.
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