Useless?

My dad is back from Alabama, and his birthday is this coming Saturday.  He is the youth pastor at the church that my family attends, and I wanted to have the youth group do something special for him.  At first I was going to have the kids fill his office with balloons, but then it occurred to me that more people than just him go in and out of the office, so I talked to my mom, and we decided that we would fill his Volkswagen bug instead. 

Last week, on Sunday I handed each of the kids a bag of balloons, with a sheet informing them about what was going on.  They all agreed that it would be a good surprise, and we would fill his car with balloons the next Sunday. (yesterday)

This means that yesterday, I got to youth group early and sat outside reading a book (I oftentimes sneak off before youth group starts to read, so my dad didn't suspect anything.).  As people arrived, I had them sign a birthday card for my dad, and insert their balloons into the car.  Everything went smoothly and the car was quite full of balloons by the time it was 6:00 and it was time for youth group to start.

When my dad saw the balloons he laughed and climbed in to get the promised surprise that was in the car underneath the balloons!  I think he was pretty happy when he saw the container of cupcakes and the gift that waited for him under all of the balloons.

This whole excursion got me thinking.  Balloons can be fun, but they're not good for much.  I mean, sure you can play some fun games with them, and decorate rooms quickly and cheaply with balloons, but afterwards you just have a piece of rubber filled with air.  In a week or two the balloons will no longer look pretty, they'll just be gross, damp pieces of rubber in a plastic bag.  This reminds me of many things.  You might enjoy shopping, but in the end, all you have is an overflowing closet.  You can watch a movie and get a good laugh or a good cry (yes, boys, good cries do exist), but in the end, all you've done is sit for an hour and a half.  You can go jogging and keep your body fit, but in the end, you're still going to die.  You can have hundreds of friends, but someday you'll have to say goodbye to them.  I'm not saying (or typing) all of this to be a huge depressing cloud of doom.  I'm not trying to be as negative as possible.  I'm not saying that everything in this world is pointless, because it's not.  What I would like to point out is, there is only 1 thing that has a purpose, one thing that really will last forever.  For an eternity.  God. God's Word.  When I do things to please Him, I'm storing treasures up in heaven.  If I go on a jog because my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, then I'm storing up treasures in heaven.  If I have friends to have Christian fellowship, or to teach people about Christ, than I'm storing up treasures in heaven.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that it's not what you say that defines you.  It's not what you do that defines you.  It is why you do what you do that defines you.  What is the purpose behind your actions?  I try to do my best in school, not because I want to impress my teachers, or because I want to show off good grades, but because I want to become the best person possible so that I can glorify God.  If the purpose of what your trying to do isn't to glorify God, than why are you doing it?

I have found that when I do something because it's fun, or because I enjoy it, I still feel empty inside.  When I do things for God's glory, it takes on a whole new meaning.  It doesn't matter how well I do or how poorly I do, it matters that others see that there is something different.  I heard someone say something once and it really stuck with me.  He said, "If you're a follower of Christ, and you hang out with someone for a day and they don't notice a difference between you and the rest of the world, you're doing it wrong."  Wow!  Can people see a difference in the way I talk from a non-believer?  In the music that I listen to?  In the way I dress?  In my attitude towards others? Towards teachers? Towards coaches? Towards my parents?  I don't know, but I most definitely hope that they can!

The book of Ecclesiastes begins by saying, 

"The teacher says, 'Useless! Useless! Completely useless!  Everything is useless.'  What do people really gain from all the hard work they do here on earth?"

Ecclesiastes 1:2-3

By the end of the book the writer comes to this conclusion:

Now, everything has been heard, so I give my final advise: Honor God and obey his commands, because this is all people must do.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

I think that that is a pretty good advice.  Each day, I try to glorify God, and I hope you will too.