You are Not Lazy. Just Carrying Work That Was Never Meant for You

What Ecclesiastes 2:26 Taught Me About Rebuilding from Financial Burnout

How Do You Rebuild Your Life When All Your Work Feels Like Chasing the Wind?

Is All This Work Even Worth It Or Are You Just Storing Up Exhaustion?

That’s the unspoken ache behind so many of our daily decisions.You wake up tired. You work hard. You try to do the right things. But no matter how much you strive, it still feels like you’re behind.

You gather. You store. You plan. You try to be “wise with money.” But deep down, there’s this quiet question whispering, “Is this all just meaningless?”

Ecclesiastes 2 doesn’t avoid that question. It wrestles it head-on. And buried in verse 26 is a truth that shifted how I see work, wealth, and what it really means to rebuild.

When Hard Work Leaves You Empty

Ever hear of King Solomon?  Some call him the wealthiest man that’s ever lived.  So obviously, most believe he wasn’t struggling like we do.

He had everything: wealth, wisdom, recognition, freedom.

However, he confessed something raw and real:

“I undertook great projects… I amassed silver and gold… I became greater by far than anyone…Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done… it was meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 2:4–11, condensed)

That phrase, “chasing the wind’ pierced me.

And he did not say it just once, but 9 times in Ecclesiastes 1-6.

Because if Solomon could gather everything and still feel empty, how much more are we vulnerable to that same ache in a world constantly pressuring us to do more, earn more, prove more?

In verse 26, the contrast becomes clear:

“To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness. But to the sinner, He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over…” Ecclesiastes 2:26

This is about more than morality. It’s about alignment.

What Ecclesiastes 2:26 Really Says (Word by Word)

Let’s break it down using the original Hebrew:

• “Pleases Him” – tov (טוֹב): good, fitting, aligned—not perfect, but surrendered.

• “Wisdom” – chokmah (חָכְמָה): skillful living, discernment in decision-making.

• “Knowledge” – da’ath (דַּעַת): insight, depth, knowing how and when.

• “Happiness” – simchah (שִׂמְחָה): joy that comes from inner satisfaction, not outer achievement.

• “Task” – ‘inyan (עִנְיָן): anxious labor, toil, burdensome striving.

Solomon is showing us something sobering: 

Without wisdom and alignment, work becomes weariness. But with God, it becomes purposeful, peaceful, and fruitful.

You’re Not Lazy. You’re Just Carrying Work That Was Never Meant for You

That was the shift for me.

As someone rebuilding from over $600,000 in debt, not because I overspent, but because life fell apart, I’ve had to learn this lesson the hard way.

I used to believe I had to hustle harder, do more, earn my way to peace.

Now, I believe something entirely different:

I’m not paying off debt to be free of it.

I’m working with God to rebuild with wisdom.

This isn’t about idolizing debt freedom.

It’s about becoming someone who can steward peace, not just pursue performance.

What Aligned Work Looks Like for Me Now

1. Wisdom-led Work I ask myself before every yes: Is this wise or just a way to prove myself?

2. Knowledge-powered Planning I use tools like Monarch Money, not just to budget but to build margin, safety, and peace.

3. Joy-infused Productivity I don’t wait until I “arrive” to celebrate. I find joy in small wins and sacred rest.

A Word to the One Who Feels Like They’re Always Behind

You are not behind. You are not lazy. You are not a failure.

You’re likely just carrying burdens that were never yours to carry and chasing winds that were never meant to be caught.

Solomon felt it. I’ve lived it. But God gives us something better than more effort.

He gives us wisdom, knowledge, and joy.

And that’s enough to start over.

A Gentle Invitation:

If you’re ready to stop striving and start rebuilding with peace, I’ve created spaces just for you:

📘 Download the CARE Package Checklist to begin rebuilding with us.

You were never meant to hustle your way to peace.

You were meant to rebuild it with wisdom.

With love and truth,

 Tricia