Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (Matthew 6:29 NIV)— I was just reflecting on this: what are the "must-haves" in life? Are wealth and glory truly essential requirements for a human life? Many people say, "I don’t believe in eternal life; I just want to live well in the here and now"—and to them, the value of this life is defined by wealth, glory, power, and influence! The Bible states that even at the height of his splendor, King Solomon was not as beautifully arrayed as a single flower. The traps people fall into most easily are the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. If a person can overcome these three major snares, they will essentially face no problem in life that cannot be resolved. Human struggles always revolve around these three things; there is nothing in life that is not connected to them. When we become ensnared by the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, we end up living a life that is entirely devoid of true value! Some might ask me, "What is the value of life?" Many define the value of their own lives by the satisfaction of these very things—the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life—believing that as long as these desires are met, their lives have been meaningful. But is that really the case?
King Solomon enjoyed all the wealth and glory the world had to offer, yet Jesus said that even he was not as well-dressed as a simple flower. Was Jesus mistaken? Certainly not! In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon himself conveys a message: "Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" Despite enjoying all the world’s wealth, glory, and power, why did Solomon’s life ultimately conclude with the word "meaningless"? The world is becoming increasingly ostentatious—a grand display driven entirely by the desire to satisfy the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. While our material lives have become more and more comfortable, the world itself seems to have gone completely off course. People live like animals, stopping at nothing—resorting to any means necessary—to achieve their ends! Human existence is often defined by the pursuit of satisfying "material needs." We observe a paradox: even as life becomes increasingly convenient and abundant, we never feel that we have enough. Furthermore, we often perceive life as nothing more than a collection of sufferings.
Is life truly a collection of sufferings? The Bible suggests that what people boast of in their lives is often merely "labor and sorrow." In reality, life can indeed be a "collection of sufferings." When a person spends their entire life chasing the "lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life," can they still discern their true, underlying needs? If one’s whole life is dedicated to pursuing tangible "material things," will they ever care about the genuine needs of their own soul? We pursue things blindly, allowing the world’s values to dictate the course of our lives—but are we destined to spend our entire existence toiling for the sake of these worldly values? Does our life belong to us, or does it belong to this world? These are choices we make ourselves. My hope is that when we reach the final day of our lives, we will not—like King Solomon—look back and conclude that everything is "vanity of vanities."
