Solomon reaches a profound and refreshing conclusion in Ecclesiastes 3:22 after examining all the activities under the sun. He writes, “So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot.” Someone once summarized the secret of a satisfying life with three simple ingredients: someone to love, something to look forward to, and something productive to do. Jesus gives us the first and greatest commandment—to love God—and the second, to love others. There’s our “someone to love.” He’s also given us something marvelous to look forward to: eternal life beyond the grave. Finally, as Job reminds us, we were each shaped in our mother’s womb for a purpose—to serve God’s mission of love in the world around us. The world may withhold fame, riches, and comfort, but it cannot rob us of these three essential treasures. They are heaven’s recipe for true contentment. Alexander the Great once visited Diogenes, who was sunning himself. Alexander, in all his royal generosity, said, “Ask any favor or any possession of me, and I will give it to you.” Diogenes simply replied, “Please move out of my sunlight.” Alexander, stunned, said, “If I could be anyone other than Alexander, I’d want to be Diogenes.” That’s contentment with a suntan!
Contentment, Solomon reminds us, is not found in possessions or prestige but in God’s presence. It’s a gift He gives to those who please Him. The angel’s announcement in Luke 2:14 puts it beautifully: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men…”—but don’t skip the last part—“…to men with whom He is pleased.” That raises the question: what pleases God? Grand gestures? Elaborate sacrifices? Spiritual gymnastics? Hebrews 11:6 answers plainly: “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” Faith is God’s favorite language. It’s not complicated, but it is powerful. It keeps us steady when the world spins off its axis and brings peace where worry once bloomed.
I remember a group discussion where someone asked, “What makes God happy? What moves Him to act in people’s lives?” The consensus was clear—it’s faith! Faith prompted Jesus to heal the paralyzed man lowered through the roof. Faith moved Him to restore the centurion’s servant. Faith healed a woman after twelve years of misery and persuaded Him to feed a persistent pagan woman. And when His disciples faltered, His most repeated rebuke was, “O ye of little faith.” The religious leaders once asked for the secret to doing God’s works. Jesus answered in John 6:29, “The work of God is to believe in the one He has sent.” Faith is both the work and the reward. When we live by it, we discover what Paul declared in Philippians 4:11: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Now that’s a life well-planted under the sun.