Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind. - Ecclesiastes 6:9 NLT
I know you're thinking, Solomon, what can we do? Now, you're telling us we can't even dream anymore? Well, yes and no.
In this verse, the reference is about thinking you'll find meaning and purpose in the things you don't have. We've all done it. If I had more money, a nicer car, or a bigger house, then I'd be able to help or host more. It's the idea that more will make us better, happier people.
He's saying, "Just enjoy what you have." Find contentment in your current situation instead of believing you need something else to have a purpose or to enjoy your life. This verse isn't against dreaming or obtaining more. It's against the lie that dreaming or obtaining more will somehow make life more meaningful.
For me, the whole point of Ecclesiastes has been tearing down the myths we believe in present-day society. The lie that more is more and necessary for happiness. The untruth that having more means you have purpose. The myth that more leads to purpose and fulfillment. Believe it or not, more tends to lead to more problems. It leads to more responsibilities that sometimes we simply aren't ready for.
The real truth is, if you can't find purpose in life with less, more is only going to complicate your search. If you won't give or serve with a little less, will you really give with more? Contrary to popular belief, maybe Solomon is simply saying that less is more because life is less complicated when you have little. Let's face it, anything that could cloud the truth in finding purpose and meaning in God alone is meaningless.