When I was a kid, it seemed so easy to just pick between choosing the right and choosing the wrong.
Hitting someone = wrong
Saying something nice = right
It turns out, life isn’t always quite that easy.
As we read about the fall and the scattering of the northern kingdom of Israel this week, something stood out to me.
Of course, some of the Israelites were straight-up wicked and chose the wrong.
But in 2 Kings 17:15, we learn that for others?
“They followed vanity”. (2 Kings 17:15)
Many scholars have clarified that the word “vanity” in the Old Testament is probably better translated as something that is “meaningless” or “worthless”.
We may not be choosing the wrong, but are we choosing things that are ultimately meaningless?
Sports teams, TV shows, social media, hobbies, apps…
Many of these things are not bad.
But in excess, or if used in a certain way…
Might they be a bit, well, meaningless?
(By the way, intentional fun and relaxation are totally meaningful in my book!)
Take a moment today to think about what things might not be adding any meaning.
If so, let’s make sure they aren’t taking up any room that we need to add activities of great worth to our lives.
“We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.” – Dallin H. Oaks
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
