CHAPTER 50 – VANITY 2024
Everybody, wants to be somebody, as the saying goes, Believers included. Vanity is the key to marketing all over the world. At the heart of it — “Sell” what people want to be or what they don’t want to be. The problem? You are what you are, and it’s kind of hard to be something you’re not. We diet to lose weight, we diet to gain weight (little to do with health generally) — we buy clothes to look taller or smaller, we buy vehicles for a number of different reasons, most of the time, an exercise in “super crazy,” an external vain option at what we hope we look like to people, instead of tool for travel or work. The direction of Chapter 50 is to highlight for you exactly what God made of you, pure and simple.
Psalm 139:13-14
New International Version
For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
So, are we back to the same direction? Prayer and Bible, fellowship and church? Yes and no, intention is a line item here. If I am what God wants, everything is better. If I force me to be something else, am I going against God? Hard questions. God does want you to be happy and content in the life given. He wants you to know that you are important, relevant and that nothing can take you from Him. To answer the question “what I want to be or what He wants me to be,” has to do with patience and a very important new point. I have found there is a time to pray and a time to do. I’ve known many pastors and counselors that pray until they’re “sure.” Yea, that’s a slippery slope. God does not send me “sure”, He sends me things that push my Faith, which means I’m directed, in the Holy Spirit to do things I don’t want to do.
Watching people pray continually until God agrees with them is pathetic, and in my business, those people crash and burn, no matter how much scripture screams, I scream, the Lord directs, they will say, “I’ve prayed about it and the Lord continues to direct me to….whatever.” I pray that I catch myself anytime I’m doing the same. Unfortunately, the world gets in the way, my ego gets in the way, my self-esteem gets in the way, the people I want to love me get in the way, that last one is dangerous. Why? Because God put you in charge and sometimes you want your loved ones to love you more than to direct all to do what is good — generally, I get in the way, instead of doing, I’m praying or trying to please everybody around me. And there are so many arguments that verify and validate that I am right in what I want to do when it is exactly not right. All of praying vs doing, answered prayers that we argue the point, is made even more difficult when Vanity is in the mix.
Psalm 46:10
New International Version
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
I can’t remember that when I want to buy a Maserati instead of a truck. When I want to buy ten thousand dollar season tickets I’ll never remember the following.
John 10:27-29
King James Version
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Sometimes all I need is to pause. Let me say it again. Sometimes I just need to pause. Will I do that? That’s the question isn’t it. Vanity is a form of unhappiness. I am unhappy with who I am, what I look like, where I work, who I work with and how I’m perceived. “I deserve too much, I deserve too little,” whichever voice, both of them are the voice of treason, not reason. Terrible task master. A man told me once he could run his business from Arizona, instead of California where the business was in. His wife didn’t like California, so they moved, even though the business had to stay in California.
How do you think the business ran by telephone and an occasional visit by the boss? Do you think inventory was ever stolen? Do you think overtime was ever abused? Do you think vendors were handled well and book keeping and accounting were in order everyday, the office ran correctly? Well, do you think he told me, “I prayed about it and I’m sure God is telling me that I’m right.” Yes he did. Vanity? How so? Vanity giving orders under the guise of God: “You want your wife to think you’re the best because you’re not worth anything, you’re not a man if she doesn’t like California and you stay there.” Well, in the short term things might look good, in the long run — the price of vanity will cost everything wrongly stated in the name of God. With the wife, unfortunately, the inevitable is coming. Bad decisions, illiterate fiduciary decisions, anemic responsibility, never works out.
Kind of like “If God didn’t mean me to have this charge card at 22%, He wouldn’t of sent it in the mail.”
Romans 12:3 New Living Translation (NLT)
3 Because of the privilege and authority[a] God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.[b]
Vanity works two ways — too much or not enough. What does that mean? Here’s a couple easy examples.
- If you’re feeling stupid about wasting money, you might buy a used car that breaks all the time, and you can’t get to work on time because the vehicle is unreliable. You might eat unhealthy food because it’s cheap, showing people how “frugal” you are. The truth? You’re not frugal, you’re stupid.
- If you’re feeling badly about yourself, you might buy a sports car instead of a truck. Without a truck, as a contractor, you’re severely impaired. A sports car can’t really carry ten bags of cement. Buying a sports car doesn’t bring God the glory unless you build sports cars for a living, race them or navigate traffic on the Autobahn in Germany or I suppose Los Angeles freeways.
- Vanity in health, plastic surgery, choices with children, family, church, ministry — all of these things are a mess when they are directed by Vanity alone. It’s always, “how do I look”, instead of “how can I help.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 New International Version
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Vanity, in and of itself is not necessary, ever. I wear clothes that are appropriate and comfortable, drive a car I need, live where I can send my kid to a good school and work the list God has given. I’m conscious of every thing God has given me as tools of the Kingdom to bring glory and honor to Him.
The minute I don’t do that, I’m in murky waters, buying disco shoes, weird hair styles, silly vehicles and eating at posh restaurants, all of it a waste of God’s time and the money He blessed me with. In short, I don’t even know I’m lying to myself and trying to sell it to everybody else. Vanity is a part of that charade, again, a tough task master to keep up with the Jones’.
Colossians 3:9 New International Version (NIV)
Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
Clearly I don’t need a Maserati, a diamond bracelet, a new weave, thousand dollar shoes or a grill on my teeth. That would not be the correct answer to “what I need today on the job.” On the other side of Vanity, incorrect humility, frugal to whatever “world” I think is watching (which they’re not by the way), I don’t need a cheap car, truck, clothes or a broken down house when God has given me enough to get what I need. All in the name of “I’m humble, just ask anybody.” How do I navigate humility, self-esteem, social pressure, perception and perspective?
Perception and Perspective: perception is what is in my head, perspective is actually what is happening. Stop praying and praying and praying for what you want, most likely He’s answered you and it’s time to get to work on the exact thing you don’t want to do, so you keep praying for another answer, cause you don’t like the one you got. It’s time to do, get up and do. You want to keep praying? Okay, pray while you’re doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
English Standard Version
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Keep perception out of it. Keep an accurate perspective. Accurate being the key word.
Philippians 4:19
English Standard Version
19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
People perceive benefit — borrowing money against perceived profits or losses not yet realized, cash or accrual. Do you understand how many things we do because we are afraid of the future that hasn’t happened yet and how we will look when we get there? Trying to control the future and our coveted “Vanity,” a very false god.
Proverbs 11:2
New International Version
When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 18:12
New International Version
Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.
A trap generally requires me to be something I’m not, in all or part. Moses knew what he was and knew what he wasn’t. I love that about the guy. God, and Moses were in agreement by the way.
Exodus 4:10-12 ESV
But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
Notice, God did not say, Hey Moses, you want to lead the people, prove you’re worth it, wear sandals that are too small to prove your humility and oh yea, hey Mo, get a camel with chrome toe covers and a golden saddle to show people not only are you humble but super cool. No, God didn’t say that.
When you learn how to just be yourself, people, customers, partners, folks just relax because you’re personhood is authentic and authentic is real and real, for better or for worse, is truthful and truthful is comforting.
Matthew 5:37
New King James Version 37
But let [a]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
What does a good life look like? Let’s ask Bob, a born again Christian, slugging it out on the road of redemption, trying whole heartedly to live in God’s plan. Let’s just pick it up into Bob’s walk.
“Bob – A true Believer”
(On any given Saturday afternoon)
Well, Ralph, me and the Misses we have two vehicles, one for her and a truck for me. The BMW is about as safe as I can buy for the freeways, especially with the kids in the car. The truck is about four years old and paid for, it’s heavy duty for sure and should last me. The house, well, we are getting it paid down, sometimes we pay out double payments, you know, when we can and I’d say we’re getting there. We gotta a couple dirt bikes to stay in shape, we made a gym in the back yard so it’s convenient. The Misses and I bought Disney passes so the kids can go, we use ‘em for sure, but Disney is kinda weird lately, we’re still going, it’s good family time, I guess, we’re gonna try Universal Tours I think. Vacations are kind of on the back burner, we might do dinner and movie night at home, but we like having a few bucks to give to the church and the Lord’s work. I’ve been donating my time at the church and that’s cool, we got a bible study at home on Fridays, bunch a goobers come over and we are definitely blessed by the gathering. The Misses told me yesterday, I gotta get some new sweatshirts, my go-to clothes are looking kinda worn out, so we found some top notch jeans and shirts on sale at Neiman, delivered right to the door. Crazy right? Hey, I’m building a classic car one part at a time in the garage, gives me time to think, you know? You want to see the frame, I just painted it, looks cool. Anyways, is there anything I could pray for you, I’d love to speak to the Lord on your behalf.
That is authentic, void of Vanity, thank God. I was thinking about giving you the opposite example of a manic-money in the name of humility that isn’t humble at all but it would embarrass all of us for sure. We all spend money, time, and life on things not so groovy, in the name of super groovy.
The two faces of Vanity, the “wrong expensive stuff” and the “incorrect inexpensive stuff.” Should I say that again? All of it with the same intention — fake, to present some kind of story to the world or maybe to myself, maybe even I think I’m doing it for God. Vanity, it’s all dumb.
Luke 12:2-5
New King James Version
2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
Matthew 6:34
New International Version (NIV)
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
What do we conclude of this chapter? Stay real. You don’t buy a Luv truck when you need a F-250, you can’t load bricks in a Luv truck and nobody fits in the cab — and you don’t need a Maserati to impress God or the world. God has answered your prayer. Pray while you’re doing what you didn’t want to do, but what you know you gotta do. Faithful.
Proverbs 11:3
New International Version
The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
Let God handle those who don’t like your decisions that He’s given you. Let God handle you while doing those things that are challenging. Let God make an example of exactly what He has made in you, so that others see God in you, not you in you.
Vanity causes doubt, debt, weird investments, ridiculous schemes and worse. Faith is hard to find when in the mind of Vanity, but it is the saving grace that stands against Vanity and wins. Faith is way better, way more fun, way cooler, way more truth, way more God than Vanity.
James 1:6 ESV
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
Our enduring discouragements, persecutions, sufferings, these things are worthy. Pretending is a short term solution.
2 Timothy 3:13 Contemporary English Version
13 But evil people who pretend to be what they are not will become worse than ever, as they fool others and are fooled themselves.
2 Corinthians 11:12-15
New King James Version
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
Chapter 50, Vanity. You don’t need a new suit or a new haircut for some occasion, you need the right suit and the right haircut, the right tools, the right information and of course we all need to do the right thing for the right God, the only God. After that we hope and pray that I hear His voice over the noise in my own head and yours.
2 Corinthians 13:5
New International Version
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
Amen.
