Ecclesiastes 1:2

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

     In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon gives his outlook on all of life. He goes through everything that he tried in order to find the meaning, that happiness. He tries work, he tries laziness. He tries wisdom and foolishness. He tries drunkness and physical pleasure. Solomon was a rich man, and there was nothing that exceeded his grasp. If he wanted to try it, it was only at his command. And yet, in trying all these things he comes to one inescapable conclusion: life is vanity.

     Vanity is an apt descriptrion for our life. It is frustrating to deal with money, because you work to spend it, and then its gone. There never seems to be enough. It has amazed me that men and women of all stations have money problems. And even if they do have money they want, money alone does not bring happiness. This one aspect of our lives really shows just how vain it can be. We kill ourselves every week working for a paycheck (and it is indeed necessary to do so) yet it never is enough. It takes most people years to get to a point where they can stop working, if that point ever comes.

     There is only one thing that we can work for that is not vain, that does not come to an end. That is the life after this one. Our eternal life is what we should be working for. It is the only thing that does not vanish with time. This is why Jesus tells us that our treasures should be in Heaven. In doing so, we put our treasures in the only place where they can not and will not be lost. By investing our time and efforts into our eternal salvation, we do the only thing in this life that is not just vanity.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”