Success That Lets You Sleep

 

“Wake up, you need to make money.” These lyrics from Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots could serve as an anthem for our generation. The message is clear: hustle hard, stay late, level up, don’t slow down. Success is out there, and you'd better go get it, or else you’ll be left behind.

This is the story many young adults are handed the moment they step into the world of money, work, and independence. However, this constant stress is not the way to attain a fulfilling life; there is a different path to “success” than just worldly accomplishments. “The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.” – Ecclesiastes 5:12

Success That Steals Your Sleep

Two different people lay in bed. One is a millionaire entrepreneur, constantly refreshing their portfolio, wondering if they’ve invested enough, diversified enough, achieved enough. They’re restless, anxious. Next door, a school janitor who worked an honest 9–5, prayed with his kids before bed, and went to sleep grateful for the day.

Who do you think actually slept well?

Ecclesiastes 5:12 uncovers a spiritual principle: wealth is not evil, but it often comes with burdens that steal peace. The more we chase wealth for its own sake, the less true peace we tend to have.

The Trap of Abundance

Throughout our lives, we are trained to believe that success is the only path to contentment, and the only way to achieve that success is by earning as much money as possible. Culture tells us that money equals freedom, and success equals more – more money, more things, more influence. But Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, had more wealth than most of us could even dream of, and still, he wrote about the emptiness of it all.

So why does abundance “permit no sleep”?

Because when we build our identity on financial gain, we create an idol we can never satisfy. We compare. We worry. We strive. And at night, instead of resting, we rehearse all the ways we could lose what we have, or how we haven’t gained enough yet.

Here’s the irony: the more we live for monetary abundance, the more we feel like we don’t have enough.

Contentment Is the Greater Gain

However, Ecclesiastes doesn’t leave us hopeless. It points to a better way:

“When God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them… this is a gift of God.” – Ecclesiastes 5:19

Contentment isn’t found in the amount. It’s found in the attitude. When we receive every dollar, every job, every opportunity as a gift from God, not a badge of our own worth, we gain what the world cannot offer: peace.

A young woman in her mid-20s recently shared her story. She turned down a high-paying job that promised long hours, constant travel, and a flashy title. Instead, she took a modest position at a nonprofit, one that let her serve others, stay involved in her church, and rest on weekends.
“It isn’t very flashy or cool,” she said, “but I finally started sleeping well again.”

That’s the sweet sleep Ecclesiastes speaks of. A life not defined by hustle, but by faithfulness.

This does not mean that we should completely give up on every worldly or financial ambition; it just means that those ambitions should be for the Lord, not for our personal satisfaction. You don’t have to reject ambition or run from financial growth. But you do need to ask: Is what I’m chasing giving me peace, or stealing my sleep?

Faith and Finance Perspective:

From a biblical standpoint, money isn’t the enemy, but it’s never meant to be the master of our minds. Jesus makes that clear when He says, “You cannot serve both God and money” in Matthew 6:24. The problem isn’t wealth itself; it’s when our identity or peace is built on something that was never meant to hold that weight. The only thing that can hold that weight without cracking under the pressure is Jesus.

From a Christian worldview, finance is about stewardship – faithfully managing what God has entrusted to us, not anxiously striving for more. Ecclesiastes 5:12 reminds us that peace doesn’t come from accumulation but from contentment. In God’s economy, faithfulness is the real success.

Whether you're budgeting your first paycheck or investing for your future, ask yourself:

  • Am I pursuing wealth in a way that honors God, or in a way that exhausts me?

  • Do I trust that God is my provider, or am I trying to provide everything for myself?

  • Is my heart at rest, even when my bank account isn’t full?

True financial wisdom isn’t just about ROI – it’s about ROP: Return on Peace. As you step into the financial world, choose a path that allows you to sleep well, give generously, and live freely – not just for this life, but for the Kingdom.

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” – Ecclesiastes 5:10


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