“For the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and collecting, to give to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless and a chasing after the wind.”
Ecclesiastes 2:26
There is something about this verse that feels uncomfortable… because it forces us to stop and ask whether everything we are doing in life truly has meaning or is just wearing us out.
Ecclesiastes is not an optimistic book. It is honest. Solomon had already experienced everything: wealth, pleasure, projects, achievements… and in the end he reaches a powerful conclusion: without God, everything ends up feeling empty.
When it says, “to the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and joy,” it’s not just talking about intelligence or learning. It’s talking about a life with direction. Someone who lives aligned with God and, as a result, finds something many are searching for but few actually have: peace within.
It doesn’t mean that person doesn’t work—of course they do. But there’s a deep difference: their effort has meaning. There is purpose. There is joy in the process, not only at the end.
Then comes the part that hits harder:
“but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and collecting…”
This is not talking about someone “bad” in the common sense, but someone who lives without taking God into account. It can be a successful, hardworking, disciplined person… but disconnected from what is eternal.
And then something interesting happens: they work, they strive, they accumulate… but in the end, they don’t truly enjoy what they have. They live tired, anxious, always chasing something more. And what they build often ends up in someone else’s hands.
Solomon summarizes it as “meaningless and a chasing after the wind.”
In other words: a lot of effort… for a satisfaction that never fully arrives.
If we think about it, this still happens today.
People who achieve everything they dreamed of… and still feel a void they can’t explain.
Others, with less, but with God at the center, live with a peace that money cannot buy.
Here is the key we sometimes don’t want to accept:
It’s not about how much you have, but about who you are living to please.
Because when we please God, He doesn’t just bless what we do… He transforms how we live.
And it’s worth pausing here for a moment…
Pleasing God is not about being perfect—it’s about direction.
It’s about truly seeking Him, not just when problems arise.
It’s about obeying what you already know is right, even when it’s hard.
It’s about having a humble heart, willing to change.
It’s about doing what is right even when no one is watching.
It’s about putting God first before money, ego, or desires.
It’s not religion… it’s relationship.
It’s living for God, not just believing in God.
And there’s another reality this verse confronts us with…
Everything you gather in this life will eventually stay here.
It may go to your children, your family… or even to people you never imagined.
Yes… and as uncomfortable as it sounds, it can happen.
If there is no clear plan, what you built could end up in someone else’s hands… even the new partner of your spouse, or people who didn’t value what took you years to build.
And even if there is a plan… you’re no longer here to enjoy it.
So the point is not who keeps it…
the point is that you don’t take it with you.
And that’s where this verse becomes real:
you can spend your entire life accumulating… and in the end, someone else enjoys it.
And yes, as strong as it sounds, someone else may come later… and enjoy what you built.
That’s why it’s not uncommon to see stories where someone works their whole life… and in the end, someone else lives off that effort.
It’s strong, but it’s true.
The most honest reflection is this:
don’t live just to leave things… live to leave purpose.
Because your possessions stay here…
but your relationship with God is what truly lasts.
It’s not about stopping work or giving up growth.
It’s about not losing focus.
Because you can gain a lot… and lose yourself in the process.
Or you can walk with God… and find joy even in the simple things.
Let me leave you with this reflection:
Is your life full… or just busy?
And if you feel like you’ve been running without peace, accumulating without enjoying, achieving without meaning… maybe today is a good moment to reset your direction.
I invite you to pray with me:
Lord, sometimes I work so hard in life that I forget what matters most: pleasing You.
Teach me to live with purpose, not just with urgency.
Give me wisdom to understand what truly matters, and what is only draining me.
And above all, give me that joy that doesn’t depend on what I have, but on walking with You.
Amen.
At Somos Cristianos, we connect hearts with Christ.
