Ecclesiastes 1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Knowledge and Contentment
Perhaps the only thing more depressing than not getting what you want after repeated effort is to get everything that you want and to still be unhappy. For such a person there is nowhere to go but discouragement. It is regretful to attain everything that the world says should give happiness yet still be discontent.
King Solomon was a man who had everything we could think it takes to make one happy. He enjoyed everything the world had to offer and much that God had given him directly, specifically wisdom. Solomon knew more than you or I ever will. He knew what to make of the knowledge he had, and was much more skillful in its use than any leader who has ever lived. Yet, when he looked back on his life, he said, “For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” He seems to say, “The more I know, the less content I become.”
Is that just the way it is going to be? Or is there something to be learned here? Ignorance is not bliss, and I do not think that God is advocating it here. There are some things that we will never comprehend. We need to realize that understanding will not fix all our problems. A life of contentment requires faith.
Most of life is something that can only be comprehended by trusting God for what we cannot see. Should we learn? Yes. Should we seek God and ask for wisdom? Yes. Should we think that merely knowing more will make us happier or more successful? No, we should not think that. After all, there is a God Who can see the beginning from the end and Who created us to find true peace and contentment only when we seek for and find them in Him.