Vanity of Success
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words. 4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. (ESV)
The book of Ecclesiastes is my go-to book for keeping me grounded when the busyness of business creeps in. The demands of running a service business means that most every customer wants you now; everybody wants to know why not now; everybody gets upset the longer they must wait. In my business you either have 10 people standing around wanting something to do, or you work 3 to death; there is no balance. The business world creeps in and steals our joy of early mornings with God. The business world will creep in to your prayer life; it happens to us all when we can’t get the demands of our careers off our minds even to pray. The only solution I have found is to seek God harder than the business world seeks me. It is a very real battle that most of us face. Satan will curse you with demanding thoughts of work, or he may be disguised as blessings that take your eyes off God. Anything that takes your eyes off God and puts your focus of life anywhere other than eternal, is an idol. Let me be perfectly clear; if you are awaking early each day, staying up late at night, doing anything it takes for your career, and not doing anything it takes to do the same for drawing closer to God, you are serving the idol of success. Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me.
The root of the book of Ecclesiastes is the holy, reverent fear of God. This is not a shaking in your boots fear, but the awe and respect that encompasses everything he is. All throughout this book by Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived) is the term vanity. Solomon loves to use the term “chasing after the wind” as a description of the futileness of so many things we desire. Ecclesiastes 1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” 3 What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun? 4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever. 5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, And hastens to the place where it arose. 6 The wind goes toward the south, And turns around to the north; The wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit. 7 All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full; To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again. Can you imagine the level of your faith, the level of your life as a disciple, the level that God could use you if you spent the energy seeking him that you spend seeking the vanity of success? Can you imagine the height of heavenly success you will enjoy eternally when you spend your little time here working for things that eternally matter; spending your time investing in kingdom work; investing in lives and pouring your blessings into ministries? Take a hard look at your calendar today, make time for God today, and make time for investing your time in something that truly matters. Success is measured by hearing those words when you meet Jesus; “Well done good and faithful servant.”
oneminuteministry 