Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
What profit has man from all the labor
which he toils at under the sun?
One generation passes and another comes,
but the world forever stays. (Eccl 1:2-4)
We plan for a great many things in our lives. We work hard to accomplish many deeds. Sadly, the vast majority of our plans, our deeds, revolve solely around ourselves.
We forget that we have been put on this earth for a different reason.
We have not been put here to take care of ourselves and secure our own future. We have been put here to care for one another, to make sure that everyone we meet can hear about our loving God and be given the chance to respond to His invitation to eternal life.
All of our plans, all of our deeds, pale in the presence of our God.
Therefore, we should spend our lives doing all that we can to serve the Lord instead of serving ourselves.
This is a lesson that is not learned easily by many people. However, once learned and once put into practice, living for the Lord rather than for oneself can open up a whole world of possibilities and blessings. So many people who live for others tell of how they have been blessed because they have quit worrying about themselves. Yet, somehow, in caring for others, they find all their needs fulfilled as well.
Do you want to be happy? Do you want to be fulfilled? Do you want to feel that your toil and labor are not in vain?
Serve the Lord and prepare to receive His blessings.
FAITH ACTION: Ask the Lord to profit the work of your hands today.