Take Time to Enjoy Your Accomplishments

Daily Devotional

Ecclesiastes 2:24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

Find the right balance between working and taking time to enjoy and celebrate your accomplishments on the earth. It is God’s will that you enjoy the good in your labour.  

You could work hard all your life focused on achieving specific goals and never take the time to enjoy what you have accomplished. That was the potential mistake that Solomon saw among men why he said enjoy the good in your labour in Ecclesiastes 2:24. Prior to drawing this conclusion there were several reasons posited by Solomon why this should be done.   Firstly, he said in Ecclesiastes 1:6 that the “eye is not satisfied with seeing” meaning regardless of what you achieve, you will always set for yourself a higher goal. That endless desire among men for more, could keep you striving for more without stopping to enjoy what is already accomplished. In Ecclesiastes 1:11 Solomon put forward a second reason, he said “there is no remembrance of former things”. He was reminding us that regardless of our accomplishments after a while it will all be forgotten.  Since it will be forgotten later, take time to enjoy what has been done now.

The third point that Solomon made was that he had accumulated great wealth and some of us have already done or will do so at some point in the future, but in the end all that is gathered will have to be left in the hands of somebody else and there is no idea if the man or woman that will take possession of it will utilize it wisely (Ecc 2:18-19). Why then not enjoy what is accumulated now since you have no idea what will become of it? Finally, Solomon made the point in Ecclesiastes 4:8 that some sacrifice family and friendships in an effort to accomplish as much as possible and in the end they are alone and have no one to leave what they have accumulated. 

It was always God’s intent for man to enjoy whatever good he has accomplished under the sun, in addition to honouring God and maintaining healthy relationships, take time to do just that.

Life Application: Pre-plan how you will celebrate each accomplishment. 

Prayer: Lord, May I see all that I have accomplished in this life and celebrate them wholeheartedly. In Jesus name, amen.