Vanity of Vanities

When a person is born anew and experiences repentance, his attitude about Jesus changes. Jesus himself becomes the cetnral focus and supreme value of life. Before the new birth happens and repentance occurs, a hundred other things seem more important and more attractive: health, family, job, friends, sports, music, food, sex, hobbies, retirement. But when God gives the radical change of new birth and repentance, Jesus himself becomes our supreme treasure. - John Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World, p. 44

When I read this passage, my first reaction was pitty for those who are still trapped in believing the things of this world are deeply valuable. Of course, most of these things are good; they're just not the best. Health, family, financial provision, etc. are all wonderful blessings, but they're so fleeting. That's not even to mention things like sports, which though often entertaining, serve no real purpose in life. Oh I love my family--especially my wife and baby daughter--but if that's all I had, my life would be meaningless. It would merely be an 80 year waste of time. Putting hard work into a marriage that will die on my death, or into raising a child who will die in a few decades, is not really significant. The Bible is right--everything under the sun is meaningless, meaningless, meaningless. I like the translations that call it "vanity." All these things are wonderful on the surface, but deep down have no real substance in themselves: vanity.

But enter Jesus into the scene. He is eternal, immortal, everlasting, the Ancient of Days. He is meaning personified. All meaningless things done unto Him suddenly become meaningful. Raising my daughter in the knowledge and fear of the Lord gives meaning to an otherwise vain task. Earning an income to serve the Lord financially becomes a meaningful occupation. And, even sports, when done unto the Lord, can have eternal significance.