The Christian Solution to Vanity

Vanity is not what many people think it is. It can come in many
forms, and is not necessarily an infatuation with yourself. Vanity
is an inordinate preoccupation with what other people think about
you—which is different. It’s important, to an extent, to care what
others think about you. It can even be charitable. But when this
care becomes unbalanced, it leads to neglecting more important
things. Wanting to be noticed can be vain, but not wanting to be
noticed can also be vain. When you shrink back and don’t want
anyone to look at you, it can be a form of vanity or false
humility; because not wanting to be seen can be an indication that
you care an inordinate amount about what people think of you.
Vanity can also cause an unwillingness to share the Faith. Many
times we think sharing the gospel will make people think less of
us. How many times has the thought of what other people think
prevented you from sharing the Faith? Balance is pertinent in every
aspect of vanity, and the best way to achieve that balance is to
care about what God thinks of you above all. These sayings about
humility really sum it up well, since humility is the antidote to
vanity: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking
of yourself less” (Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Life). “If you
meet a really humble man … He will not be thinking about humility:
he will not be thinking about himself at all” (C.S. Lewis).