Have you made it to the fair? It’s going on in Neshoba County right now.

A lot of people are enjoying the activities and atmosphere of it this year.

As often happens, when thinking about the fair, my mind began to wander.  I thought about a man at a fair who saw someone leading a large, well-groomed horse.  He asked the owner, “Is that a saddle horse?”

The owner said, “No, sir.  That horse won’t take a saddle.”

So he asked, “Is it a driving horse, then?”

The owner said, “No.  If we hitch him to a cart, he goes crazy.”

So he asked, “Then what good is he?  Why is he here?”

And the man said, “Style, man, style.  Just look at the picture he makes.”

On the other hand, think about that fair cotton candy that we love.  It only takes a couple of ounces of sugar and a little flavor and color in the spinning machine to create that yummy delicacy.  It looks good but is mostly air (though the cost does not reflect it).

I point out those two things because many of our lives are like that.  They are just showy or just airy.  We can make ourselves look successful to others without actually accomplishing anything in life.

King Solomon once said that in his life he had amassed houses, vineyards, gardens, parks, reservoirs, servants, livestock, silver, gold, and entertainers.  He had everything he wanted, but then he wrote in Ecclesiastes 2:11: “When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind.  There was nothing to be gained under the sun.”

Do you feel like that?  Do you ever wonder if your life could ever amount to anything truly spectacular?

It can.  It should.

Jesus was once asked what the most important thing in life is, and He said in Matthew 22:37-39: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and most important command.  The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

There it is.  No showmanship.  No airiness.  No fluff.  If you are devoted to God and to the betterment of others, your life will have greater impact than you could ever imagine.

I hope you enjoy fair-time.  But more importantly, I pray your life will find its true meaning in God.

The following devotional can help you on your journey…