Golden Handcuffs
“All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.”Ecclesiastes 1:8 (KJV)
Some work is chosen mostly for the money or the prestige. It pays well, it looks good, and it drains you. So you plan escapes: the big trip, the nicer house, the next upgrade. The escapes cost money, which means more of the work you wanted to escape.
It becomes a loop. The job funds the escapes, and the escapes chain you to the job. Solomon described it well: “the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” Another vacation won’t cure Monday.
Jesus offers a different kind of rest, one you don’t have to fly anywhere to find. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
Rest for your soul doesn’t come from getting away from your life. It comes from bringing your life to him.
Read it yourself
Read Ecclesiastes 1:1–11. What does Solomon say about whether anything is new under the sun?
Are you working to escape your work? What would it look like to find rest in Christ instead?
Lord Jesus, I bring you my labour and my heavy load. Give me rest for my soul, right where I am. Amen.