Is it all vanity?

The book of Ecclesiastes says a lot about vanity. That many things in life are ‘vanity’. These things include; Working, seeing, hearing, ’New’ concepts, pleasure, wisdom, foolishness, gardening, building, treasure, having wealth, being the boss. All vanity! There’s not a lot left if all these things are counted as ‘vanity’!

So, what is vanity? It’s defined as ’brief and unsubstantial, emptiness’.

The things that we can invest our time and pleasure in can all be summed up as brief and unsubstantial emptiness. Now, I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t make me feel very good - To think that all my efforts conclude in brief and unsubstantial emptiness! The book of Ecclesiastes says about these things that there will be ‘’no enduring remembrance’ (2:16).

So are all our works, our efforts, our toil worth nothing? Are they all but a puff of smoke that vanishes in the wind that dissipates into the atmosphere with no lasting effect? Will they disappear into ‘no enduring remembrance’?

Are all things are vanity?

None of us wish to think so. None of us want to think that our lives are worthless or that they will have no impact on the world around us. Personally, I don’t think it’s true either.

The things listed are all stuff. They are all things we can get busy with, things we can take for granted, but is there deeper purpose behind it all?

A lot depends on our motives for what we are doing.  Do you have purpose behind the things you do? Do you have long-term goals? And do your short-term actions fit with those goals? In essence - are you working for purpose?

If you are not working with a purpose then the things in your life can all seem like vanity. They can feel like they are unsubstantial, brief and empty.

So, today, remember  and evaluate the purpose to what you have and what you do; The things you have, the job you do, the skills, abilities and qualities within you and the culture you’re in are all for purpose.
You don’t have to live in an empty cycle that is brief and unsubstantial. You can make changes today to build a life of purpose.