I used to have as much ambition as anyone I ever met.  Ambition was simply a way of life for me.  The problem is ambition comes with costs.  It costs relationships.  It costs money.  It costs health. The price simply isn't worth it.

I have achieved a lot of my goals at a very early age. But now I think like Solomon, "vanity, vanity, all is vanity".  It is all just a bunch of garbage now. Worthless, except only for the knowledge and experience I have accrued.   

We can't ride on the coat tail of our past achievements forever. It fades away, and we fade away into obscurity with it.  What we mis define as 'Success' is temporary and fleeting against the tide of time. It is vanity.

I think about Paul when he was Saul.  He was gung ho!  A pharisee of pharisees!  He was so ambitious for his faith that he went about facilitating the death of Christians - zealous for doing God a service.  One trip to Damascus changed all that. His misguided ambition was later channeled for righteousness.  God used Paul's knowledge of the scriptures and philosophical persuasion to expand the kingdom mightily.

All was not in vain.  

Solomon may have thought toward the end of his life that all was in vain.  But I think he was just depressed.  His life most certainly had meaning.  His gift of wisdom was used in dispensing righteous judgment.  How can anyone think that righteous judgment could possibly be worthless?  I thirst for that righteousness now!   He built the temple that laid the foundation for generations to come.   Countless philosophers and theologians stand gazing into the horizon of wisdom from the shoulders of Solomon even now.

All was not in vain. 

This brings my thinking to the parable of the talents in Mathew 25.  The people with the talents were not focusing on their selfish ambitions, but were using the talents God gave them for His purpose. God gives us certain abilities for His purpose.  It is unwise to misuse or let them lay dormant.  That is the true vanity.

I urge you to reflect on your life right now. Ask yourself if you are really living up to your true calling in life.  Are you wasting your time gathering wealth, or trying to be a rock star?  Or are you using your talents for the kingdom? 

Don't live in vain.

vanity - lack of real value; hollowness; worthlessness: the vanity of a selfish life.