written by Nate Pruitt
"Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity." Ecclesiastes 1:2
Vanity or pride is what Solomon speaks
of here. In fact the whole book of Ecclesiastes hinges around that
point. Pride is a word here that also means
emptiness. The tragedy of Solomon's life is that
while he knew God existed, while he built a temple for Him, that he
lived his life selfishly. He allowed pride to reign in him, seeking
his own desires, in every way he could find pleasure he ran to it.
Why have one wife or ten wives when he could have a thousand? Yet,
in the end, his wisdom that God blessed him with weighs heavy on
his heart, because he realizes that all of his efforts and
interests that he pursued on his own led to an empty life. Pride is
empty!
Ever see a puffer fish defend itself? The puffer fish doesn't
become more dangerous, it fills itself to look big. The truth is
there's no substance, it just hopes to look big enough that
whatever was going to eat it swims away. Is that us? Do we puff up
to seem of worth? Do we let our words, or our purchases, try to
convince others that we're full and joyous? Christ came to bring
life, and to bring it in abundance, yet the model He displayed
for the abundant life is one of humility- where God is always
exalted. Today I simply wanted to encourage us all to search our
hearts, to find where we puff up our chests and try to look
impressive and powerful on our own, and instead exhale there and
bow before God- trading our self driven pride for humility, and
emptiness for abundance!
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