Enjoy Life

Building Wealth, Enjoying God's Gifts, and Doing His Work

1 John 2:15-17, 2 Corinthians 5, Matthew 16:24-26, Matthew 25:14-30, Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, Job 1:1-3, Luke 12:16-21

What Are We Here For?

Many people spend their entire lives chasing money, building wealth, and accumulating possessions — only to discover at the end that it was all pointless. We're not on Earth just to earn money and build wealth. That's a hollow existence.

But here's the beautiful truth: God doesn't want you to be poor or miserable. He wants you to build wealth, enjoy life, AND do the work He has specifically prepared for you to do. These aren't contradictory — they're meant to work together.

The key is understanding the proper order: seek God first, do His work, and He will bless the work of your hands — not just for your benefit, but for His glory and the good of others.

Do Not Love the Things of This World

Scripture gives us a clear warning about making the world and its possessions our ultimate focus. When we love the things of this world more than God, we've misplaced our priorities.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one's possessions — is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.”
— 1 John 2:15-17 (CSB)

Notice the contrast: the world and its desires are temporary, but doing God's will has eternal significance. This doesn't mean we can't enjoy material blessings — it means we shouldn't make them our ultimate treasure or source of security.

Living in a Temporary Tent

The apostle Paul understood that our time on Earth is brief. He described our physical bodies as “earthly tents” — temporary dwellings while we wait for our eternal home with God.

“For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiring to put on our heavenly dwelling... So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight... we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 (CSB)

This perspective frees us from the anxiety of accumulating earthly treasures. We're just passing through. Our real home is with Christ. This doesn't make life meaningless — it gives us the freedom to live boldly for God without being paralyzed by the fear of losing what we've built.

Deny Yourself and Follow Jesus

Jesus was brutally honest about what following Him requires. It's not about adding religion to your existing self-centered life. It's about dying to yourself and living for Him.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?'”
— Matthew 16:24-26 (CSB)

Think about that question: What good is it to gain the whole world — all the money, success, and possessions — but lose your soul in the process? Yet that's exactly what happens when we make wealth our god instead of using wealth for God's purposes.

God Expects Us to Be Productive

God doesn't want lazy servants. In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus makes it clear that God entrusts us with resources and expects us to put them to work — not hide them out of fear or laziness.

“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one's ability... After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them... His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master's joy.'”
— Matthew 25:14-23 (CSB)

Notice what pleased the master: faithfulness and productivity. The servants who doubled their money were commended. The one who buried his talent out of fear was rebuked as “evil and lazy.” God wants us to be wise stewards of what He entrusts to us — whether that's money, skills, time, or opportunities.

Enjoy Your Work and Life

Here's something beautiful: God wants you to enjoy the fruit of your labor. Ecclesiastes, often seen as a book about life' meaninglessness, actually contains profound wisdom about finding joy in everyday life.

“Here is what I have seen to be good: It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward. Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God, for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.”
— Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (CSB)

Did you catch that? The ability to enjoy your work and wealth is itself a gift from God. When you're walking with Him, doing His will, you can eat, drink, and rejoice in your labor without guilt. That's not worldliness — that' receiving God's good gifts with gratitude.

Wealthy But Righteous

Some people think being spiritual means being poor. That's not what Scripture teaches. Many of God's faithful servants were extremely wealthy — not because they chased money, but because God blessed their obedience.

Job

Job was “the greatest man among all the people of the east” with enormous wealth:

“There was a man in the country of Uz named Job. He was a man of complete integrity, who feared God and turned away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters. His estate included seven thousand sheep and goats, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east.”
— Job 1:1-3 (CSB)

Job was wealthy AND righteous. His wealth wasn't his god — God was. When he lost everything, he worshiped: “The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

The patriarchs were also wealthy because God blessed them:

“Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.”
— Genesis 13:2 (CSB)
“Isaac sowed seed in that land, and in that year he reaped a hundred times what was sown. The LORD blessed him, and the man became rich and kept getting richer until he was very wealthy. He had flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and many slaves.”
— Genesis 26:12-14 (CSB)
“And Jacob became very rich. He had many flocks, female and male slaves, and camels and donkeys.”
— Genesis 30:43 (CSB)

These men weren't wealthy because they chased money. They were wealthy because they walked with God, and He blessed their obedience. Their wealth was a byproduct of their relationship with God, not the goal of their lives.

The Rich Fool Who Built Bigger Barns

Jesus told a sobering parable about a man who did everything “right” from a worldly perspective — he worked hard, was productive, and planned for the future. But God called him a fool. Why?

“Then he told them a parable: 'A rich man's land was very productive. He thought to himself, "What should I do, since I don't have anywhere to store my crops? I will do this," he said. "I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. Then I'll say to myself, 'You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.' " But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared — whose will they be?' That's how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.'”
— Luke 12:16-21 (CSB)

The man's mistake wasn't that he was productive or wealthy. His mistake was living as if he had many years ahead to enjoy his wealth, when his life could end at any moment. He stored up treasure for himself but was not “rich toward God” — meaning he didn't use his wealth for God's purposes or eternal investment.

The question isn't whether you'll have wealth. The question is: will you be rich toward God?

The Balanced Life God Wants for You

So what's the takeaway? Here's the balanced approach Scripture teaches:

  1. Don't love the world — Keep your heart fixed on God, not possessions
  2. Remember you're temporary — This life is brief; eternity is forever
  3. Deny yourself — Die to selfish ambition and live for Christ
  4. Be productive — God expects you to steward what He entrusts to you
  5. Enjoy your life — Rejoice in your work and God's blessings
  6. Be rich toward God — Use your wealth for eternal purposes

We're not on Earth just to earn money and build wealth — that's pointless. But we're also not called to poverty and misery. God wants you to build wealth, enjoy life, AND do the work He has prepared for you.

Pray This Prayer:

“Lord, reveal to me what You want me to do. Show me the work You've prepared for me. Help me to be faithful with what You entrust to me, to enjoy the blessings You give, and to store up treasure in heaven by being rich toward You. I don't want to waste my life chasing the world. I want to live for You. Amen.”

Scripture Foundation

1 John 2:15-17 (CSB)

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one's possessions — is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.”

2 Corinthians 5:1-8 (CSB)

“For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiring to put on our heavenly dwelling... So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight... we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

Matthew 16:24-26 (CSB)

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?'”

Matthew 25:14-23 (CSB)

“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them... His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master's joy.'”

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (CSB)

“Here is what I have seen to be good: It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward. Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God, for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.”

Job 1:1-3 (CSB)

“There was a man in the country of Uz named Job. He was a man of complete integrity, who feared God and turned away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters. His estate included seven thousand sheep and goats, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east.”

Genesis 13:2 (CSB)

“Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.”

Genesis 26:12-14 (CSB)

“Isaac sowed seed in that land, and in that year he reaped a hundred times what was sown. The LORD blessed him, and the man became rich and kept getting richer until he was very wealthy. He had flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and many slaves, and the Philistines were envious of him.”

Genesis 30:43 (CSB)

“And Jacob became very rich. He had many flocks, female and male slaves, and camels and donkeys.”

Luke 12:16-21 (CSB)

“Then he told them a parable: 'A rich man's land was very productive... But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared — whose will they be?' That's how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.'”

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“Here is what I have seen to be good: It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward.”

— Ecclesiastes 5:18 (CSB)