Vanity part 2
Vanity means emptiness. And it is that emptiness that we go through life spending our three T's (Time, Talent, Treasure) trying to fill. Here's the deal though: "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2). That's us. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The heaven is our mind and the earth is our body. In the beginning God created... us. He created you. He created me. The problem, such as it was, was that we didn't know who we were. Because we were dark and void and without form. We were empty, in a sense. We didn't know who WE were because we didn't know who HE (God) was. And yet, the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. He was right there with us. Whether we knew it--could see it--or not. God swore He would never leave us nor forsake us, right? He is always there for us, and with us. No matter what. And then it gets even better. Because we think WE are supposed to fill that emptiness, or that void. We think WE are supposed to somehow be what we (or, usually, the world) thinks we are supposed to be. Be someone else. Be someone else's idea of a "good Christian," or even a "good person." We think we're supposed to conform. Fit in. When, in truth, we were created to stand out. When, in truth, the only way for us to fill that emptiness... is to fill ourselves with what we've already been filled with. To receive what we have already been given. Because right after Genesis 1:2 comes this little gem, "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). God was right there with us. Right from the jump. Even though we didn't know who we were, because we didn't know who He was. But that wasn't enough for Him. He didn't want us to be in that state of confusion. That state of longing. That state of feeling like we were without form. He wanted us to know who we were. Perfect and complete in Him. Fearfully and wonderfully made. So He shined His light (of love) on us. Into us. Through us. He shined His light so that we could see that we ARE that light. Jesus identified us as the light of the world. And He identified Himself as the light of the world. It's the same light. The light of life. The light of love. That's what fills us up. Or, more accurately, shows us that we are ALREADY filled up! The reason that we feel like everything is vanity--that we are empty--is because we are focused on what we don't have a lot of the time instead of what we do have. We look without instead of looking within. We focus on the negatives instead of the positives. We make mountains out of molehills instead of understanding that God has brought every mountain low and every valley high. He has made a straight and narrow way that leads to life--a more excellent way called love! And here's the key to the Kingdom: If you don't want to feel empty... fill someone else up. That's what love is; giving what you've got. Letting what's inside come out. Naturally. By knowing and believing that it (HE, LOVE) is in there. Filling yourself to overflowing with what you've already been filled with!