Based on Hebrews 12:1-4 (New King James Version)
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”
For what things do most people fight for? Many strive to obtain material possessions, and they sacrifice everything necessary to be able to obtain what they desire. Others strive for a career or a job, and they also sacrifice time and even their relationships to be able to reach goals and successes, and quite possibly even for noble causes. Many also spend their time trying to find a mate, looking to either have a relationship or a marriage. In a similar manner, there are people that strive to have and raise children, and they sacrifice themselves to be able to build homes. There are people that place much effort in trying to have different experiences in life, trying to live life to the fullest each moment. And also, there are people that work hard to be healthy and strong, attempting to maintain peak physical fitness. And well, there are so many other things that people strive for with the goal to attain what they long for. But are all of these things bad? Within themselves, none of these things are necessarily bad. Quite possibly, they can even be blessings, but we need to go deeper to get to the point. God can bless us in different ways and with different things, and especially if they are achieved in a good way, not through evil. Nothing of what has been mentioned is evil within itself. But the question should be, how much should we strive for these things? And what priority should they have?
This is what should be considered. All the things mentioned above, and even similar things, are not evil, but by virtue that each of them are subject to this world, they are not perfect, and so, they are not eternal. All of this is vanity, as the Bible defines it. In other words, vanity consists or is defined by its existence, and that all these things although they are not evil, they are temporary. So then, it can be concluded that vanity is the same as temporary. And this is how the Word of God warns us: “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’: While the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, are not darkened, and the clouds do not return after the rain; in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow down; when the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look through the windows grow dim; when the doors are shut in the streets, and the sound of grinding is low; when one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low. Also they are afraid of height, and of terrors in the way; when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is a burden, and desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets. Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. ‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘All is vanity.’” Ecclesiastes 12:1-8. Everything that we see today will fail, end, run out, etc., and there is nothing that can be done about it. It is what it is. Money and wealth are uncertain. A career or a job sooner or later will end, and our abilities will remain with us only up to a certain point. We as humans fail whether we want to or not because we are fallible beings, even when there are good intentions. Many people use others, or we are considered as something good until something goes wrong. Just as the saying goes: “You are only good as your last mistake.” Marriages and families can break apart for endless reasons. Health can change in an instant. And well, with regards to experiences, everything is really nice at first. We all like novelties and sensations, but all of that is temporary also. Everything in this world starts and ends. And please, don’t take this as venting from a bitter person, but rather, as a call to reality. This is reality, that absolutely everything in this world ends either in a good or bad way, and this is what the Bible always exhorts us to keep in mind as we transit through this mirage or illusion we call life.
The Word of God counsels us in that we should not focus so much on this world, nor on the things in it, because it is very easy to lose sight of what really matters. As it is written: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.’” Matthew 16:24-27. It is not wise to put as goals or as a reason to exist things that are vanity or temporary. Therefore, be responsible with your possessions, but don’t let them be the all of your life. Fulfill your duties with your career or job, but don’t let them consume your soul. If we want to have a marriage and/or children, take care of them and do what you must, but they should not be the goal or the definition of your life because you just experience either much disappointment or trust that something will last and that is simply not the case, and so on. You may gain the world, but if you are too focused on the world, you may lose your soul in the process because all of your priorities are wrong, even though they may involve things that are not necessarily bad. This is also what the Scriptures say: “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:12-20.
We must always keep this in mind: There is a resurrection for those that love Christ, we should not put our hope on vanity or temporary things, and far less, we should not use the things of God to justify temporary desires because the Father will pay each of us according to our works. And even though there is a great cloud of witnesses, there is only one Witness that should matter, and that is God. We must resist until bloodshed striving against sin, because everything that takes God’s rightful first place turns into sin, and even the blessings of God can become sin if you let them. So then, what is the reason for your existence? Lord bless! John