Most men are aware that there comes a time in their life when they just cannot resist the temptation to go to a car dealership and buy a new car. Men can find everything wrong with the old one, when a new one is a possibility. Entering the showroom, you can smell the "newness" of that automobile. It is shiny with new paint; everything is clean from the top to the bottom. We try to convince our wives that the old jalopy is wearing out from the inside out and from the outside in and that it is time to purchase a new one.

The problem with all of this is that the "newness" soon wears off. The car is dirty and the "new" automobile begins having problems similar to the old one. Isn't that the way with things in this life? They are only temporary! Isn't that what our Lord taught in Matthew 6:19-21? Why is it that we think we can purchase "things" with the view that they are going to last and last and last?

The question that we all need to ask ourselves is: What Really Counts? We all can remember the thrill of that new car, house or sofa. But, the "newness" has worn off and it is commonplace. New things soon lose their novelty.

Solomon says it's true of everything...."all is vanity." Vanity means "breath." It has the basic meaning of the brevity of the breath one can "see" on a cold morning. It is used metaphorically of anything transitory, frail, unsatisfying, in contrast to permanent. Solomon certainly exhausted his energies in the attempt to find satisfaction in "things." Are we expressing to our children that "things" are more important than anything else in life?

Think about the question: What Really Counts? as it pertains to our spiritual lives. What really counts when it comes to the study of God's Word, the church, following Christ, serving in the church and helping others to know the truth of the Gospel?