It was time to review the book King Solomon wrote in the bible, Ecclesiastes.  I hadn’t read my Bible in a while, and I realized the issues that I was facing, and causing some of the depression, were the same issues King Solomon was writing about in his book.  King Solomon was the richest man in the world and lacked nothing.  He had hundreds of concubines.  He questioned the purpose of his life.  Things didn’t make him happy.  At times he despaired.  He said, what was the use, the same fate faces me as other people?

I realized it was time to review his book.  I certainly wasn’t the richest man in the world, but I was dealing with the same issues:  can things satisfy you?  What was the purpose of your life?  I certainly was at the tail end of my life.  So yesterday I picked up a Bible and started reading his book.  I know in the end he says the only wisdom is to fear the Lord, but I want to first read through all the issues he was detailing of his life.

Some people have more, some people less.  It has been that way from the beginning of time.  Poverty has always existed.  You can’t even measure wealth in dollars signs.

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, once the richest man in the world, wants a legacy other than his material wealth so he and his wife started a foundation to see how they could impact the world.

Another misconception of wealth is it refers just to material wealth. Each of us has gifts and a personal sphere we can influence by utilizing and giving away our time.

Russia found out their large socialistic farms were unprofitable.  We kept selling our surplus of wheat to them.  Others need to have a personal stake in their success (or failure).

The world has always been that way.  Some people have always had more and some less.  The poor have always been with us.  Maybe, that is why God has commanded us to give to the less unfortunate (???).

He also says when it is in your power to give something to someone and you don’t, it is a sin.  Giving does not always refer to material wealth.  It is also giving of your time and gifts freely.

Maybe God created the world so each person would be dependent on the other.  We are commanded to help each other.  We need to reach out to the people in need within our circle.

Unfortunately money insulates us giving us the idea we don’t need God and others.  And that is the furthest from the truth.  We are interdependent:  we need each other.