Batteries Not Included ∙∙

Batteries Not Included ∙∙

Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude. – 1 Timothy 4:4

Ecclesiastes 5:10-19

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth – except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.

We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing – like working for the wind. Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud – frustrated, discouraged, and angry.

Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life – this is indeed a gift from God.

The Restless Desire for More

How many of us can relate to the unforgettable words of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof?

“Dear God, you made many, many poor people. I realize, of course, that it’s no shame to be poor. But it’s no great honor either! So, what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune?” “If I were a rich man, if I were a wealthy man, I wouldn’t have to work hard. If I were rich, I’d have the time that I lack to sit in the synagogue and pray.” “You decreed I should be what I am. Would it spoil some vast eternal plan if I were a wealthy man?”

Tevye’s words resonate because they capture a longing that feels deeply familiar. Many individuals envision how life could change with just a bit more. The dream of greater wealth often seems modest at first, yet it can easily grow into a quiet dissatisfaction with what one already has.

As Epicurus observed, “To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough.” That same spirit is captured in John D. Rockefeller’s famous reply when he was asked, “How much money is enough?” He answered, “Just a little bit more.”

Most people, at some point, have wondered how life might change if they had a bit more money, security, comfort, or opportunity. On the surface, this wish seems reasonable, often perceived not as greed but as a simple longing for relief, stability, or a better life. While this desire appears harmless, the Scriptures warn how easily it can turn into an insatiable appetite.

What starts as a quiet wish for more can develop into a restless craving, convincing the heart that true satisfaction is always just out of reach. Instead of fostering gratitude, it breeds discontent; instead of offering peace, it fosters a cycle of ongoing striving. Consequently, the desire for “just a little bit more” becomes spiritually perilous, as it seeks fulfillment in what can never truly satisfy.

The Burden of More

The Psalms and Proverbs frequently warn that misguided desires can easily mislead the heart. Conversely, Ecclesiastes offers this warning with sharp clarity, presenting the pursuit of wealth not as a path to fulfillment but as a self-sustaining cycle that results in emptiness.

Ecclesiastes 5:10-12:

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth – except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!

People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.

Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 shows that wealth often brings not peace but anxiety. The greater a person’s possessions, the more pressures, obligations, and fears can arise. Having abundance does not ensure tranquility; in fact, it often disrupts it.

Ecclesiastes 5:13-17:

There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children.

We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came.

All their hard work is for nothing – like working for the wind. Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud – frustrated, discouraged, and angry.

Solomon highlights the fragile nature of wealth, which can be lost, misused, or hoarded to one’s detriment. Ultimately, it cannot change the fundamental truth of human mortality: we enter the world with nothing and leave it the same way.

Greed, Gratitude, and Contentment

Fundamentally, this issue centers on the heart: greed stands opposed to gratitude, just as discontentment stands opposed to contentment. Human nature is often inclined to believe that true satisfaction is just beyond their current moment, beyond their limitations, possessions, or circumstances. However, wealth consistently reveals how false that belief is. For many, gaining more doesn’t lessen desire; it fuels it. The more they acquire, the more they want, making the idea of “enough” lose its meaning.

The Scriptures do not condemn wealth in itself, nor do they portray material provision as inherently wrong. Rather, they warn that wealth becomes spiritually hazardous when it fosters self-reliance, dulls gratitude, weakens remembrance of God, and fuels an insatiable appetite for more. Prosperity must never be allowed to displace dependence upon God.

Deuteronomy 8:18: “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

Ultimately, it boils down to greed versus gratitude and contentment. Have you ever considered that for the wealthy, the more they get, the more they want? Enough is never enough!

REFLECT & PRAY

Would it hurt if we had more wealth? The answer is yes and no, depending on how we receive it. If wealth were to come our way, wisdom demands that we remember and be grateful to the Father who gave us the power to make wealth.

Father, teach me to pursue gratitude and contentment rather than the endless desire for more. Guard my heart from greed, restlessness, and misplaced trust in material gain. Help me to remember that every good provision comes from Your hand and to receive all that I have with humility, wisdom, and thankfulness.

INSIGHT

Insight Into Contentment and Joy

Solomon came to understand that there is a perspective on wealth that produces real joy and lasting contentment. Life itself is a gift from the Father, and that gift includes not only moments of ease but also the ordinary burdens and struggles woven into daily existence.

1 Timothy 6:17: “The living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”

This truth reframes the way wealth and possessions should be viewed. They are not ultimate ends in themselves, nor are they reliable sources of lasting satisfaction. These are gifts that should be accepted with gratitude, humility, and the right perspective.

The Difference Between Riches and Enjoyment

The secret of contentment is far simpler than the modern world suggests. As Epicurus observed, “Add not to a man’s possessions but take away from his desires.”

We have the power to control our attitude towards wealth, rather than allowing wealth to control us.

After decades of observation, searching, and contemplation, Solomon realized that the Father grants both riches and the ability to enjoy them. Satisfaction is not included with prosperity. It comes separately.

Our society is replete with advertisements: “As Seen on TV, blah, blah, blah .” Batteries are not included.

When we adopt Solomon’s perspective, everything changes.

Why Does the Search for Contentment Fail?

One of the enduring mysteries of human existence is that people continually switch pursuits, believing fulfillment is just around the corner. They chase satisfaction through accomplishments, possessions, recognition, pleasure, or conquest. While they may feel brief bursts of happiness or excitement from their achievements, possessions, fame, or successes, these feelings are fleeting and fade over time.

Contentment requires a major paradigm shift. There are only two things on Earth that last forever: the word of God and human souls. Instead of focusing on temporal things, we should concentrate on what is permanent.

1 Timothy 6:6: “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Genuine gain is not found in the abundance of possessions but in a life shaped by godliness and accompanied by contentment. As Wiersbe noted, true contentment rises from godliness in the heart, not wealth in the hand.

Why Striving Alone Becomes Vanity

Effort without contentment is vanity. Take a moment to reflect: Are your efforts wearing you out or providing you with satisfaction and quiet serenity?

Solomon’s wisdom illustrates that when the heart is correctly aligned, even modest gifts are received gratefully. Gratitude shifts the focus from always striving for more to appreciating what we have.

Ecclesiastes 5:20: “For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.”

Receiving life from God with gratitude brings a profound sense of freedom. One is no longer trapped by comparison or the craving for more. True joy arises not from better circumstances but flows from a heart rooted in the truth and godliness.

The Warning Against the Love of Money

The Scriptures clearly warn of the danger of regarding wealth as an object of desire rather than a tool for wise use.

1 Timothy 6:7-10:

“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Wealth alone does not satisfy a restless heart. Only gratitude before God and contentment in His provision can steady the soul. As resources grow, true security is found not in abundance itself, but in remembering the One who gives all things.

Hamsters are born to spend their nights running and searching for food. However, the children of the King are not hamsters; they are born to pursue true godliness.

Is it time to pause the constant pursuit of contentment? Maybe it’s better to develop “an attitude of gratitude” for what the Father has already provided.

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© Dr. H 2026