“Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven,” says Proverbs 23:4-5. These words echo relevant truth, urging us to reconsider the nature of our desires and the wisdom we trust to guide them.
How often does our joy, contentment, or peace crumble under the weight of an unfulfilled expectation? We pin our hopes on what we believe we know—on things that seem true, reliable, and within reach. Yet, when reality reveals that what we sought was a mirage, we are left disillusioned, disappointed, and often depressed.
Our expectations fail not because of the effort we put in, but because they are built on what the Preacher calls "that which is not." This phrase has an important meaning: it refers to the fleeting, the insubstantial, the illusory. Like Job, who lamented, “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope” (Job 7:6), we realize that the hopes founded on “that which is not” are as ephemeral as a breath.
When our aspirations rest on the satisfaction of our lower desires—what 1 Peter 4:3 describes as “lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries”—we are bound to face disappointment. These desires, fueled by our own wisdom, promise us fulfillment but deliver emptiness. The sorrow that follows a failed expectation is not just about the loss of what we sought; it’s a reflection of our inability to let go of the very thing that led to our disappointment.
Consider the young man in Mark 19:22 who, after hearing convicting words, “went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” His sorrow wasn’t just about losing wealth; it was about the collapse of the worldview he had built around it. Like him, when our hopes are rooted in material gain or superficial success, we set ourselves up for sorrow. The issue isn’t merely the failed expectation; it’s the behavior and mindset that arise when we can’t let go of what prevents us from receiving true fulfillment.
The Bible’s call to refrain from our own wisdom and to cease laboring for riches is not just about rejecting materialism. It’s about embracing a higher way of living—one that values what truly matters. If the things we chase after lead to sorrow when they don’t materialize, then those things are not what truly matters. They are “that which is not”—temporary fixes for a deeper void that cannot be filled by worldly gains.
True fulfillment comes not from clinging to what we desire but from letting go, from giving selflessly, as Luke 6:38 teaches, and from trusting that the return will come in due time. The real wisdom lies in understanding that what matters most ignites a fire within us, urging us to press on with patience and reflection, rather than despair. The fleeting nature of “that which is not” distorts our character, leaving us empty, while pursuing “what is” transforms us, grounding us in reality and truth.
Instead of obsessing over what should be or what we think we deserve, we should focus on understanding our true needs. Proverbs 11:9 reminds us that “through knowledge shall the just be delivered.” Knowledge, not fantasy, leads to liberation. When we put off the “old man” (the old mind) of deceitful and sabotaging thoughts, feelings, and desires, as Ephesians 4:22-23 advises, and renew our minds, we open ourselves to genuine transformation.
Life often teaches us that what we think we know is a deceiving assumption. Our hearts, naturally inclined toward “that which is not,” resist the idea that we might not know what’s best for us. Yet, in trusting the intelligence within life, which stems from the living God—the invisible wisdom embedded in life’s very fabric—we find that even our disappointments can be transformed into blessings.
The challenge, then, is clear: monitor your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Discipline your imagination, which so often leads one astray, and bring all findings to the living God in prayer. Let go of what you think you know, and be willing to learn who you truly are and who you are meant to be. In this process of letting go and learning, we fulfill the call of Isaiah 1:17: “Learn to do well.”
Ultimately, the wisdom of Proverbs 23:4-5 is not just a warning against the pursuit of riches; it’s an invitation to pursue a life rooted in true understanding—a life where our desires align with what truly matters, and where our wisdom, coupled together with the Bible’s words, is shaped by life’s guiding cues, rather than our fleeting passions.