Solomon’s experiment
Riches are “extra.” We could use them for wild living and excess consumption. Does this bring satisfaction?
No. It does just the opposite.
We have these examples throughout the Bible. The most extreme case was Solomon. He had massive wealth. Beyond that, he studied wealth and its uses. In his pursuit of wisdom, he experimented. He reports on these experiments in Ecclesiastes.
In one experiment, he plunged into massive consumption. He had wine. He had women. He had entertainment, buildings, and gardens. He was the richest man ever, and here was his plan:
“All that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them.” (Ecclesiastes 2:10)
Solomon’s result
So, did it work? No. After “considering all his activities,” he found
“There was no benefit under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:11)
Even in this earthly life (“under the sun”), it didn’t work.
In fact, things got worse. At the end of his experiment with excess consumption, how did he feel? He wrote,
“So, I hated life.” (Ecclesiastes 2:17)
That’s a bad outcome. That’s about as far from “enjoyment” as possible!
Notice, he hadn’t lost his wealth. He wasn’t like the prodigal son who ran out of money. He was still the richest person on the planet. Yet his path of excess consumption led to depression.
Modern results
That was then. What about now? Does this use of wealth get us to “enjoyment”? The answer is still no. Not even close. In fact, it still does exactly the opposite.
This isn’t just ancient philosophy. Don McNay is a financial consultant to lottery winners. He explains,
“So many of them wind up unhappy or wind up broke … People commit suicide.”5
Rich and famous rock stars have it all. Yet they often take their own lives.6 Solomon isn’t the only one who binged on excess and ended up hating life.
The problem with consumption is not that it’s evil. Stuff isn’t evil. Consuming stuff isn’t evil. The problem is that it doesn’t work. Increasing consumption gives an initial hit of excitement. But it quickly fades.
It not only fades but it also changes our reference point for future experiences. Things we once enjoyed lose their appeal. Things that other people take pleasure in, we no longer can. Our standards are higher. We’ve burned out our capacity for enjoyment. In other words, we’re addicts. We have to get the bigger hit just to reach a little enjoyment.
Bingeing on excess consumption doesn’t work. The crash after the party is naturally depressing. What’s worse is the loss of hope. If a person doesn’t have money, they can imagine it would bring happiness. Once they get it, that hope dies. The imagined cure of excess consumption proves false. Their hope disappears. Their sadness now feels permanent.
Eternal results
These results are bad. They’re bad right now. Jesus suggests they can get even worse later. He tells a parable about one who was given wealth to manage. This steward used his temporary wealth to party and get drunk.7 He used his power to abuse others.
The result? Punishment. The owner returned. He beat and scourged the bad manager.8 He sent the manager to a place where
“there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:51)
The results of excessive and abusive consumption just keep getting worse. It starts with “no benefit.” It then leads to “hating life.” It can even end in punishment.
Moderation
Excess consumption doesn’t work. So, what kind of consumption does work? Discussing wealth, Paul writes,
“If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” (1 Timothy 6:8)
This refers to clothing, shelter, and food.9 If we have these, we have enough to be content. Having enough is helpful. But enough is not that much.10
One study looked at lottery winners who had good life outcomes. What was their secret? The research professor explained,
“By spending their prize money responsibly in order to project moderate, non-luxury consumption, the winners are ‘rewarded’ by feelings of fortune, security and happiness.”11
The secret was moderation. Excessive consumption doesn’t create happiness. At best, we quickly get used to it. Often it leads to depression and even hating life. If we want happiness, bingeing is a big failure.
Overindulgence backfires. It doesn’t bring happiness. Contentment requires some consumption, but it’s not that much. Once those needs are filled, extra consumption doesn’t necessarily help.
Why this isn’t really an issue
Wealth can be used in excess consumption and wild living. That is an option. But it’s not a good one.
In reality, this is rarely a problem for most wealth holders. Despite popular portrayals, they’re rarely attracted to bingeing. It’s just not who they are. If it were, they would never have built or maintained their wealth in the first place. They’re more likely to spend moderately, often even less.
Wealth holders are a special group. They have special behaviors. They are the wealth accumulators. Rarely are they the wealth squanderers.
Rejecting the bingeing lifestyle makes sense. Moderation is a better choice. It avoids bad outcomes. But it still leaves the question unanswered. What are we going to do with our temporary wealth? Let’s consider the next option.
For more on this topic, see Chapters 1 & 3 in