Recently, Ive pondered the concept of vanity and I’ve had to ask myself, “Am I becoming vain?”
In today’s world instead of pulling out a soft, black and white newspaper to stay informed, we touch a screen to open social media. Instead of sensibly reading through information and advertisements, we are bombarded with thousands of sounds and images that overload our minds in unreasonably short amounts of time.
How beautiful what others eat, drink, wear, and do are carefully crafted and presented to us by the ever attentive A.I. Each 30 second life advertisement subtly reminds us of what we want, don’t have, or need to achieve.
So I wonder…What does this do to our inner value system?
Are we subconsciously building scales in our minds as to who is important, loved, or blessed based on these kinds of things?
Vanity can come creeping into our lives and little by little become increasingly demanding.
It starts with “Vanity” feeling like a helping companion who can show us where to “improve.” He starts by pointing out some imperfection in our life. Suddenly we are self focused which quickly morphs into dissatisfaction.
So we attempt to fulfill this the dissatisfaction with whatever “Vanity” deems fit. For a time it feels great! We start feeling important, beautiful or worthy of love. But soon those feelings we thought we achieved vanish as quickly as they came. Now this master, “Vanity” gives us the solution.
“Do it again. Chase that feeling.” Eventually Vanity helps us find something else we can improve or change. The suggestions are confirmed as we hop on our phones and see how fulfilled and happy others who have these things truly seem!
Wanting to be beautiful or loved is not sinful. But what is sinful is having any other God before the Lord. The amount of time, focus and energy spent on these things can all too easily get out of balance. I believe God designed us with with human desires that are not to be repented away. Love, approval, beauty, and satisfaction are only fulfilled one way.
Were we as interested in the beauty of Jesus today as we were our own? We must ask ourselves these kinds of questions and allow the Holy Spirit to tell us the truth. Who am I serving and what is the evidence?
The trap of vanity is a lie we entertain. He boasts that we can be fulfilled outside of Gods opinion of us.
Vanity urges us to scroll, chase, and consume all three hooks in the human heart- the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the boastful pride of life.
But as we feed these hooks and empower vanity we are always left empty. We try to get that loving feeling again but vanity only ever drags us along with the hope of achieving some fantasy goal. Always offering phantom solutions.
“Its because you don’t have this.”
Or, “Just change this here and that there.”
Be it your house, your body, or your lifestyle- vanity always sings in tune with the melody of discontentment and can eventually lead to anger toward God.
Vanity needs the praise of men like grass needs rain. When we receive the praise of man, it feeds this mean demon, but we’re left thirsty still. The irony is that vanity steals our joy in doing things we love about life. Rather than doing it as unto the Lord, vanity twists our pursuits for selfish gain, attention and praises.
Scripture is clear that we are like flowers, here today and gone tomorrow. Living for our own glory is living for rewards in this life only. Jesus said He would care for us and provide what we need if we would seek the Kingdom first. God has the tendency to beautify what He surrounds and we must know any true and lasting form of beauty comes from Him alone.
If you have been vain, you are not alone. If you hate the feeling, you are not alone. And if you want to be closer to God, you are not alone.
I’m not suggesting you try to change anything in your own strength. I’m talking to the people who have gotten sick of waking up with the cares of the world choking out God’s voice and want to shift. I believe something will prick your heart within the words I’ve written if you’re dealing with vanity.
Maybe you’re reading this and being convicted by Holy Spirit. Maybe you’re realizing that subtly you’ve forgotten to seek Gods beauty above your own.
Good news- Jesus is coming back for a beautiful bride. She will be completely free from the need to be anything to anyone other than God himself.
She will live before His eyes alone and will be the second most stunning creature to exist, next to Jesus. All her motives will have been tested and proven. She will think with a resurrected mind and vanity will have absolutely no hold on her.
We must return to our fulfillment being in the reality that God sees us and thinks about us. If God is pleased and we know that in our souls, we are free men indeed.
The chains are broken and we have been freed from this very mean master, Vanity. All we have to do is walk away, return to the truly Loving Master, and serve Him alone.
Hebrews 12:1 “…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so easily, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..”
As always,
Stay free Mamas.
