The Lie of Success

Ecclesiastes 2:17–26 ESV

So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 4:4–8 ESV

Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind. Again, I saw vanity under the sun: one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.

Introduction:

Review of Ecclesiastes so far…

This book is meant to be seen as philosophical masterpiece. Each question leads us to find the answer in our own lives. Now this isn’t relative truth. The answers are all the same, but it’s you getting to those conclusions without someone spoon feeding you the answers.

Another way to look at this book is that Solomon, in his wisdom, writes this work as a skeptical unbeliever seeking purpose and meaning for life in everything but God.

Life on earth is meaningless if this life is all that there is.

Pleasure isn’t meant to point to itself, but to God.

This morning we’re moving from the pursuit of pleasure to the lie of success. We’re going to talk about the lies we believe about success, why we believe them, and the truth that we must believe in order to enjoy the work and success that God has gives us on this earth.

The Lies We Believe

Ecclesiastes 2:18 “I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me,”

“Success fails on its own terms.” - Timothy Keller

Why do we work? We expect success to pay off in at least 3 ways.

Bring Satisfaction Inside Us — You’re not successful unless you do what you’re fit to do or what brings you joy. Ecclesiastes 2:22–23 “What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.” Pain, grief, and anxiety… “under the sun…” The more you build your life on work and success, the more you will have pain and sorrow, and anxiety.

Give Recognition Ecclesiastes 4:7–8 “Again, I saw vanity under the sun: one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.” He’s got recognition, but not the kind he needs. Seeking esteem, attention, recognition. People see me and love me and respect me. He is successful, but who’s missing in his life? His family. He’s alone. Too busy, Too disconnected, Too rude and selfish. Work promises to bring you closer to others, but it alienates you.

Make a Contribution Work is how you make your mark on the world. “I do not believe a man can ever leave his business. He ought to think of it by day and dream of it by night…Work is our sanity, our self-respect, our salvation. The day’s work is the center of everything.”- Henry Ford Ecclesiastes 2:18–19 “I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1:11 “There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.” I die and leave it all behind. A fool or wise man gets it. And in the end they will be forgotten too. All your success will eventually be forgotten. All your success will eventually be squandered and spent and undone.

Why do you believe these lies?

You’re trying to find your identity in work and success.

Ecclesiastes 4:4 “Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.”

All working and striving comes down to a comparison game of wishing we had what someone else had. We’d be happy if we could get this much. We’d be happy if other people saw how much we were doing.

Our work becomes more than our work, it becomes who we are. Everything we make, how we make it, the quality of it, the usefulness of it, and the reception of other people about it is what we wrap our identity in.

We’re constantly trying to prove ourself.

What do we tell our kids about school grades and sports? “I’ll be happy so long as you….do your best.”

How many of you transfer that to your work? How many of you do your best but feel like it’s not enough so you end up overworking yourself because your best didn’t get the recognition you wanted?

Ecclesiastes 4:5–6 “The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.”

Two hands full of work — Overwork

No handfuls of work — the full with no desire to work anymore.

One hand with work, and the other with quietness.

There’s a deep rest that we can have along with one handful of work.

Hebrews 4:9–10 “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.”

Whether you believe in God or not, you are working for your salvation.

“You need a rest from your work in your work.” - Tim Keller

The Truth We Must Believe

Rest in work is a gift that only God can give.

Ecclesiastes 2:24 “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,”

Rest in work comes from knowing that God delights in us.

Ecclesiastes 2:26 “For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.”

Rest in work comes from having a relationship with Jesus.

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Come to Jesus, not to work, not to religion, not this or that, but Him.

Jesus can give us rest because He lost His rest.

Conclusion: Are your hands full?

Better yet, what are they full of? Do you have two hands full of work trying to make a life for yourself?

Do you have nothing in your hands? You’ve give up. You don’t care anymore.

Or do you have that which God has given to you and His rest and delight and salvation.