Pleasureless Pursuits

"For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭2:26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/ecc.2.26.nkjv

A purposeless pursuit does not necessarily result in a want of material profits or an absence of worldly enrichment. In fact, the Preacher's experience confirms the possibility of an abundance of enjoyment and provision of worldly amusement, which may be freely at the possessor's beck and call. However, these enrichments bring little satisfaction or no fulfilling pleasure to the soul, because a purposeless pursuit is primarily concerned about self-satisfaction. Although the work of gathering and collecting the benefits of life appears to favour certain privileged men, the same men are less favoured with satisfaction without a commensurate commitment to the expected spirit of distribution. The reality is that everyone is good and equal in the sight of God. The apparent inequality comes from a misunderstanding of the fact that only the pleasure of God can drive a purposeful pursuit. Therefore, the conviction in "to whom much is given, much is expected" is the only escape route from a pleasureless pursuit in life.