The Vanity of Wasting the Gifts of God

Downloadable Reflection Guide

Ecclesiastes 6:1-2

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.

Imagine being given the most wonderful gift in the world, a gift far beyond your wildest dreams. In your excitement to care for the wonder and splendor of this gift, you do everything you can think of to protect the present that you have received. You purchase a glass case to house the gift and place the glass case containing the gift in its own private room. To avoid any further risk of accidental damage, you lock the room and limit the times that you check on your gift to make sure that it is properly protected from the elements. You regulate the temperature, the light, and anything else that might in any way impact this marvelous gift. In your efforts to protect this gift, you never make any use of it, rarely even looking upon it. This gift that is so special to you, is thus effectively kept entirely out of your life.

Seems kind of silly, right? Who would actually do this? Well...many collectors keep prized possessions in the original packaging to avoid the loss of any resale value. But, are the things that we possess really ours if we do this?

Solomon pulls no punches, calling it evil to not enjoy the blessed gifts that God showers upon His children. Why would we ever place the riches that God gives to us behind glass, literal or metaphorical? God shares with intent. We do not have what we are granted by God by accident. Further, it seems appropriate to note that vocationally what God blesses us with may well be intended to bless others in Christ’s name. Take the blessing of knowing Christ as our Savior as an example. This is not a gift to be hidden from others, but rather a gift given for sharing. It would thus, indeed, be a great evil for us to withhold this blessing from others as well as from fully being lived out in our own lives. However, rather than feeling guilty when we do not share God’s gifts with others, we ought to seek forgiveness in Christ and moving forward find ways that we can share what God has given to us, making full use of His gifts to the glory of His kingdom.

Thoughts for Reflection

What gifts have you been given by God that you can more fully utilize in Christ’s name?