Why Do We Work So Much?

How hard are you working to “get ahead” in life? And maybe the better question is: Ahead of whom?

“Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich; be wise enough to control yourself.” (Proverbs 23:4 NCV)

Solomon was not condemning hard work. Proverbs praises diligence over and over. His warning was about wearing yourself out chasing wealth. Work hard, be responsible, provide well—but know when enough is enough.

Solomon also gives us one of the reasons we work ourselves so hard:

“I saw that all of the hard work and skillful work comes from people being jealous of each other. This is also useless, like chasing the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 4:4 NCV)

There it is: comparison. And think about this - how foolish is it to chase the wind - you’ll never catch it.

I can remember this even at 15 years old. I would ride my bike through the rich neighborhoods and say to myself, One of these days, I’m going to have this. I could go shopping and suddenly realize I “needed” something new. I could visit friends with a nicer house, walk through a model home, see something newer or better—and immediately want more.

Why are we like that?

We like shiny, new things. New feels exciting. Better feels like progress. More can make us feel successful. But the problem is that new eventually becomes old, and once you get what you wanted, there is usually something else right behind it.

We call it “keeping up with the Joneses.” They buy a bigger house, so ours suddenly feels small. They get a new car, so ours seems old. They remodel, travel, upgrade, or make more money—and before long, we are running a race God never asked us to enter.

I think about my mom. She settled for less—partly because she had to. But in many ways, she seemed far more relaxed. Less pressure. Less stress. She enjoyed life more.

Sometimes I wonder who really had more.

Solomon had enormous wealth, power, possessions, and accomplishments. Yet he learned that constantly reaching for more can become its own kind of slavery.

There is nothing wrong with working hard, building a business, making money, saving, investing, or enjoying what God has given you. The danger begins when “more” becomes the goal and “enough” disappears from your vocabulary.

Maybe the question is not, “How can I get ahead?”

Maybe it is, “Why do I always feel like I need more?”

Because if your success is measured by somebody else’s life, you will never arrive. There will always be someone with more.

Work hard. Be responsible. Provide well. Enjoy what God gives you. But don’t spend your life exhausted trying to impress people who are probably chasing something too.

Sometimes one of the greatest forms of wealth is simply being able to say:

I have enough.

LORD, You have blessed me with more than I ever thought I would have. Yes, there are people richer than I am, but there are also so many with far less. Why have You blessed me this way? I know that not everyone who works hard accumulates more or has more. Help me be a good steward of everything You have placed in my hands.

Thank You for allowing me to enjoy the simple things—the wind in the trees, a hot cup of coffee, my Bible, my family, and my health. Most of all, thank You for Jesus Christ and for saving my soul. That is the ultimate gift and the greatest blessing of all.

In Jesus’ name I pray, amen. ♥️

Our favorite thing - the camper