Money, Clout, and the Big Empty

Solomon had every resource imaginable. Unlimited budget. Unlimited power. Unlimited access. So he did what anyone with infinite clout would do — he ran the experiment. He tried literally everything the world had to offer to see if any of it could actually make life mean something.

What follows is the most honest review of "having it all" ever written. Spoiler: the five-star life gets a one-star rating.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-3 (ESV) Solomon decided to run the ultimate vibe check on pleasure itself. If meaning wasn't in Wisdom, maybe it was in having a good time.

"I told myself, 'Bet — let's test this. Go all in on pleasure. Chase the good times.' But even that was smoke and nothing. Laughter? Unhinged and pointless. Pleasure? What does it actually do for you? I even tried wine — not recklessly, I was still thinking clearly — I wanted to grab hold of every foolish, fun thing and figure out what's actually worth doing in the few days we get on this earth."

He wasn't being reckless. He was being strategic about it, which honestly makes the conclusion hit harder. He gave pleasure a fair trial and it still came up empty.

Ecclesiastes 2:4-8 (ESV) So Solomon leveled up. If simple pleasures didn't work, maybe building an empire would.

"I went massive. Built houses. Planted vineyards. Made gardens and parks with every kind of fruit tree. Built entire irrigation systems for forests I was growing. I had servants — born in my household — and more livestock than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I stacked silver and gold, the treasures of kings and whole provinces. I had singers, entertainers, and everything a man could ever want."

This man had the portfolio, the properties, the playlist, and the people. Every flex imaginable. If money and success could fill the void, Solomon would've been the most fulfilled person who ever lived. 👑

Ecclesiastes 2:9-11 (ESV) Here's where it gets real. Solomon had surpassed everyone — and he knew it.

"I became greater than anyone before me in Jerusalem. And I stayed wise through all of it. Whatever my eyes wanted, I got. I didn't hold back from a single pleasure. My heart found joy in my work, and that joy was my only reward. But then I looked at everything I'd built, all the effort I'd poured in, and it was all smoke and chasing wind. There was nothing of lasting value under the sun."

The reward for the grind was... the grind itself. That's it. Everything else evaporated. The man who had everything looked at it all and said, "This is mid." 💨

Ecclesiastes 2:12-16 (ESV) Solomon pivoted. If pleasure and wealth didn't work, at least wisdom is better than foolishness, right?

"I turned to compare wisdom with madness and folly. And yeah — wisdom is better than foolishness the same way light is better than darkness. The wise person can actually see where they're going. The fool stumbles around blind. But then I realized something that wrecked me: the same fate comes for both of them. So I thought, 'If I'm going to end up the same as the fool, what was the point of being so wise?' That's also meaningless. Nobody remembers the wise or the fool in the end. Eventually, everyone is forgotten. The wise person dies just like the fool."

This isn't nihilism — it's brutal honesty. Wisdom is genuinely better for living, but it can't save you from death. No amount of being smart can outrun the grave. That realization sits heavy.

Ecclesiastes 2:17-21 (ESV) And then Solomon hit the wall. Hard.

"I hated life. Everything done under the sun was painful to me — all of it, smoke and wind. I hated all my work, because I have to leave it to whoever comes after me. And who knows if that person will be wise or a fool? Either way, they get to enjoy everything I built with my wisdom and effort. That's not just meaningless — that's a terrible injustice. So I gave my heart over to despair about all my labor. Because sometimes someone works with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then has to hand it all over to someone who did nothing to earn it."

This is the original "you can't take it with you." Solomon built a legacy and then realized he couldn't control what happened to it. All that grinding, and some random heir might fumble the whole thing. 💀

Ecclesiastes 2:22-26 (ESV) After all the despair, Solomon lands somewhere unexpected — not in answers, but in surrender.

"What does anyone actually get from all their hard work and anxious striving? Every day is full of pain, and their work is frustrating. Even at night, their mind won't shut off. That's also meaningless. But here's what I found: there's nothing better than eating, drinking, and finding enjoyment in your work. And even that — I realized — comes from the hand of God. Because apart from Him, who can eat or find any real enjoyment? To the person who pleases God, He gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But to the one living in sin, He gives the endless task of gathering and collecting — only for it to end up in the hands of someone who actually pleases God. Even this is smoke and chasing wind."

Here's the turn that matters: enjoyment itself is a gift from God. You can't manufacture meaning. You can't hustle your way to peace. The simple ability to enjoy your food, your work, your day — that's not something you earn. It's something God gives. And trying to stack up fulfillment apart from Him? That's just collecting for someone else. 🙏