Vanity

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun? Onegeneration passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever. Eccl 1:1-4 (NKJV)

I need to be perfectly frank with you--I am not a big fan of Solomon. Solomon only served to demonstrate the following truth: "Man's wisdom is as foolishness compared to God's wisdom." The Bible tells us that Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived--that God had given him insight and understanding of the human condition and the nature of the world. In spite of this great advantage--the wisest man who ever lived became a fool. He doled out his wisdom and advice to others--wrote them down as Proverbs that still guide us today; but, he did not follow his own advice nor live according to his wisdom.

Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon continually refers to vanity. Essentially, he categorizes all of an individual's effort in life as a package of vanity. Was he right? Is life nothing more than vanity? Are the works of our hand--the effort to better ourselves--the workouts--the education--the job--the family--the accomplishments...is it all vanity? Every time I see the Oscars (You know the big annual party that Hollywood throws for itself) I am convinced that maybe Solomon was right; seems to be a bit of vanity coming out of Hollywood!

Contrast worldly vanity with this verse: "The steps of a good man are ordered of God." Sounds to me that it is possible to live a life that is more than vanity. A life, in fact, that has been designed by God Himself. A life of purpose--a life with meaning--a life that has direction--a life that makes a difference--a life that ultimately builds the Kingdom of God and brings God glory! "What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?" Please humor me as I answer Solomon's rhetorical question with an unexpected answer: Life, apart from God is an exercise in vanity, but life with God is far more than that. Living for God is participating in an eternal Kingdom and leaving a spiritual wake that is blessed by God.

Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, You have given me an abundant life, full of meaning and opportunities to serve Your purposes. I have found great joy in the fruit of my labor, because, the works of Your Kingdom do not equate to vanity. Oh, I have certainly had plenty of vanities' fruit in my life, but I have also found the riches of serving according to Your will. Please do not let me slip into patterns of self-service, but may I accomplish all the works that You have already prepared for me to do. Amen"