Ever heard the phrase “it’s just smoke and mirrors”? It is the essence of the art of illusion, like the amazing feats of the famous David Copperfield. Illusionists make you believe you are seeing something by using “smoke and mirrors” that distract you from seeing what is happening.
Satan uses the same technique in our everyday lives, and one of his most effective tricks is vanity. Vanity takes our eyes off what should be our focus and puts it on ourselves. Anything in this world can become vanity if taken to extremes because this world is temporal. Nothing here will last. So, what is vanity, and how do we avoid it? A closer look at scripture is a good place to start.
Where Does the Bible Define Vanity?
The first place to start is with the man known as the wisest in history, who spent much time investigating and writing about wisdom and vanity. Solomon wrote most of the books of wisdom, including Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The book of Ecclesiastes goes into a detailed look at the many facets of the word vanity and its application to our daily lives. Christianity.com contributor Meghan Trapp explains in her article on the biblical definition of Vanity that the Hebrew counterpart of vanity, hevel (or hebel), means smoke or vapor. It means things that can come and go in a few breaths.
In Ecclesiastes, the writer makes an almost exhaustive list of everything that is vanity:
- Pleasure
- Excessive labor
- Great accomplishments
- Envying other people
- Riches
- Multitude of dreams
Each of these things has no lasting substance. They all pass away eventually, just like the vapor. For a more in-depth article on the definition of vanity in the Bible, check out my Christianity.com article here. In the meantime, let’s look at the difference between how society views vanity versus how the Bible views it.
How Is the Biblical View of Vanity Different from Our Modern Definition?
According to Merriam-Webster, vanity is “inflated pride in oneself or one’s appearance: conceit; something that is vain, empty, or valueless.” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia associates vanity with emptiness or vapor.
Society sees vanity as overly concerned with how you look or how people see you. For example, people often have surgical or dental procedures done that insurance companies consider vanity procedures unnecessary, so they are not covered by insurance. Some people publish books through so-called vanity presses, with the idea that standard publishers will not pick up the books, so they print them themselves. I won’t go into the positives and negatives of the practice. Still, many people see this as mere vanity because the person wants the notoriety of saying they published a book. Society also sees individuals who are fixated on themselves as being vain by thinking the whole world revolves around them.
Biblical vanity encompasses more than just conceit. Solomon summed it up as “all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). All the things that man considers important or valuable are just a vapor that will disappear. It does not last, so we should concentrate on the things of eternal value. At the end of Ecclesiastes, Solomon says: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.” Everything else is vanity.
What Makes Vanity So Dangerous?
The problem with vanity is that it is sneaky. Something that seems good, like work, becomes an obsession that interferes with our relationships with our family and, more importantly, with God. The Christian life is about true humility, knowing who you are in Christ. It is a balance between thinking too little of the gifts God has given us to use, such as Moses in Exodus 3:11, and thinking too much of yourself. In Romans 12:3, Paul warns, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”
Keeping our balance is a struggle because we have so many aspects of our lives to juggle, such as relationships with family, work, spiritual growth, and ministry, to name a few. Within each of those areas, we must also maintain the balance of true humility because vanity can slip in when we are tempted to pat ourselves on the back without giving thanks to the One who makes everything possible.
It can also slip in when we become overly focused on one area to the point where we don’t give priority to more important things. Personally, I spent a lot of time and money trying to work on a Ph.D. in an area that I didn’t really feel called to. I eventually had to drop out without finishing the dissertation because I ran out of money. I have no degree to show for all the loans I piled up, but God has redeemed it by allowing me to use the knowledge I gained from classes. Still, it was vanity that spurred me to get the degree. Is there something you are obsessed about or focused on that is taking up all your time, energy, and possibly money? Is it something God called you to, or is it vanity?
How Do We Explain Vanity’s Definition and Problems to Others?
I used to teach literature and writing at the college level, mostly introductory courses. One of my favorite poems, “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, is an excellent example of the irony of vanity:
I met a traveler from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
This statue was of Pharoah Ramses II and was once 57 feet tall. In its day, it must have been inspiring and intimidating to passersby. Ozymandias thought his statue and his memory would live through the ages, yet the statue lay in ruins almost forgotten. The inscription says, “look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!” Yet, all around is nothing but empty desert and broken pieces of what used to be. This is vanity, and this is the result of vanity: it disappeared like a vapor, and no one remembers it.
We need to pray for God to show us when we are falling prey to vanity’s sneaky sin. Psalm 39:4-5 says:
“Lord, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah.”
Practical Steps to Avoid Vanity Today
So, how do we avoid the trap of vanity as we struggle through the world's temptations? I think we can start with a few basics:
- Start with gratitude. When we remember who gives us everything, including life, we are less apt to fall prey to vanity.
- Be obedient. When we follow God’s plan by being obedient to the next right step, we know our focus is on the right thing.
- Take an inventory. What are you spending most of your time and money on? Make sure it is a godly priority, and see if you need to adjust your focus.
God wants us to have joy, and He has a purpose for our lives; however, He doesn’t want us to get so caught up in the vanities of this world that we miss out on eternal things. I think Solomon says it well, “Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.” We should enjoy God's gifts, remember they come from Him, and obey His commands. If we do this, vanity will fade like the vapor it is.
Photo Credit:©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Wavebreakmedia
Linda Lyle is a writer, teacher, knitter, and unintentional collector of cats. She has written articles for the Alabama Baptist, Open Windows, Refresh, as well as multiple novels and novellas. Her newest book, 5-Minute Prayer Plan for When Life Is Overwhelming, is set to release in October. She spins yarns on her blog The End of My Yarn at lindalyle.com.
This article is part of our larger resource library of Christian questions important to the Christian faith. From core beliefs to what the Bible says about angels, we want to provide easy to read and understand articles that answer your questions about Christian living.
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