26/08/2013 - HUMAN FOOLISHNESS

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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?

Ecclesiastes 1.1-3

Vanity has controlled humanity and set its course. People live to attain more and more things to prove that they are better than others. Some people dedicate their lives to studying, because they want to be praised by their knowledge; others dress in a way so that they will be praised by their style. But why should you put so much effort in things that are not important and refrain from pursuing many good and necessary gifts that come from being involved with the work of God?

The pursuit of knowledge has led many people to spend their entire lives studying. Of course, there is nothing wrong with enriching your resume; but when all you can think of is learning, it may be a sign that something is not right. We, Christians, also need to find balance in our lives. We know that we must read the Bible on a daily basis, but we must also remember we live in this world, so we need to work for our bread.

To get more and more things—this is the motto engraved in the hearts of many people. Vanity makes people pursue material possessions. In order to gain more, some people work to exhaustion, giving up life’s pleasures and leisure activities. The Lord created good things to be enjoyed by everyone, but when the spirit of vanity overtakes our hearts, we become blind to what God wants to show us.

There are also those who spend all their energy and money on material goods, because they only feel accomplished when someone praises them for their possessions, and many times they pay an exorbitant price for one thing just because it was designed by so-and-so, not so much because of quality. But life does not consist of what we have; rather, it consists of our devotion to the Lord God. Material possessions can be a blessing or a curse, depending on what we do in order to attain them.

The need to belong to a group of people has led many people to despise their neighbor, who, not only is the image of God, but one day could be the one in the position of help them out (the world takes turns). So, brethren, do not allow the spirit of vanity make you discriminate people based on race, culture, or any other reason. We must fear the Lord at all times.

God promises to provide to all our needs according to his riches. He also says that, if we want, we will eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1.19). So why should you put so much effort in the pursuit of beauty, education or wealth? The vanity of being considered the best and wealthiest has led many people to covet and even commit crimes. Do not be fooled by the devil; choose what comes from the Lord.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares