Are You Really Paying Enough Attention To The Important Things In Your Life?
I was reading an article some time ago about a father who was pursuing his dream of becoming the best Dad to his children.
He didn't have much, he didn't have lots of money, or material things...
He didn't even have a good job to support his family the way he wanted to; but you know what, he was happy! He was elated to see how well his kids were doing with their lives, even though the material things that many people crave for were missing.
Many of us tend to focus all of our attention on money and material things so much that we sometimes overlook the MOST important things in life.
Many people take friends, family, and relationships for granted.
They focus entirely on things that don't amount to much, things that are "here today, gone tomorrow.
" What makes you happy? What is your biggest dream? If you are obsessed with the things that can be bought with money, or be created by man - then you are missing the boat.
You are missing your reason for being here.
I think it was T.
D.
Jakes who said: "If the problems that you have can be fixed by man or with money, then you DON'T have a problem.
" Some years ago I was meeting with a number of pastors in my community.
We wanted to setup an organization to monitor the lives of young people who had dedicated their lives to serving their community.
We got into this conversation about service, and we discovered that many people still didn't understand how important this part of their life was.
Here was a group of kids between the ages of twelve and seventeen who were aware of this vital part of life, this critical component of our very existence, while many adults have never even thought about it.
Many people have spent their time here on this earth and left, and have NEVER thought of doing something for someone else without the question, "What is in it for me?" There are even many so-called christians out there who have not been able to grasp the true meaning of what christianity really means.
It's about service! Your ONLY objective here on this earth is to serve willingly, and without any expectations of reward.
"Nothing is more honourable than doing a favor for someone who can't return it!" What drives you? What makes you get up every morning to go to a job that you hate, to spend all day with a boss that you despise, and to give lip service to your coworkers not because you want to, but because you have to? What makes you put up with all that crap? Is it just to make a living, just to get a paycheck at the end of the month? Is it just to bear the name that you have a job, that you are employed? What is it that drives you to do all that? There are many people who are striving for success.
They want to make a difference in their lives, to provide for their family, to make more money so they can buy the things that they want, and that's okay.
But there is something much more important than that.
The person who you become through this process is much more important than what you get from it.
From my perspective, the relationships that blossom along this journey, the new friends you make, the life you can provide for your family, the charitable organizations that you are a part of not because of profiling, or trying to project a certain image, but because you want to serve, that is what makes life worthwhile.
Isn't life about that deep desire that you have developed within you to make a difference in the life of someone else, to leave your mark? Isn't that what life is all about? Now, if a bunch of young people could be looking at ways to improve the quality of life to senior citizens and sick people who are poor.
If they are trying to provide support to other kids who are struggling with peer pressure, and kids who are struggling with drugs and alcohol problems...
What is your excuse? If a father could be so elated to know that his kids were healthy, they were not involved with drugs, they were not in any gangs, even though they didn't have much money.
If a father could be so happy to know that his 25 year daughter had waited until she got married, before she had her first child, his first grandchild...
What really makes you happy? That is the question you need to ask yourself today! The answer to that question can really set some things in motion, so think about it long and hard my friend.
The answer to that question CAN make a big difference in how your life turns out.
Let's make a difference!
He didn't have much, he didn't have lots of money, or material things...
He didn't even have a good job to support his family the way he wanted to; but you know what, he was happy! He was elated to see how well his kids were doing with their lives, even though the material things that many people crave for were missing.
Many of us tend to focus all of our attention on money and material things so much that we sometimes overlook the MOST important things in life.
Many people take friends, family, and relationships for granted.
They focus entirely on things that don't amount to much, things that are "here today, gone tomorrow.
" What makes you happy? What is your biggest dream? If you are obsessed with the things that can be bought with money, or be created by man - then you are missing the boat.
You are missing your reason for being here.
I think it was T.
D.
Jakes who said: "If the problems that you have can be fixed by man or with money, then you DON'T have a problem.
" Some years ago I was meeting with a number of pastors in my community.
We wanted to setup an organization to monitor the lives of young people who had dedicated their lives to serving their community.
We got into this conversation about service, and we discovered that many people still didn't understand how important this part of their life was.
Here was a group of kids between the ages of twelve and seventeen who were aware of this vital part of life, this critical component of our very existence, while many adults have never even thought about it.
Many people have spent their time here on this earth and left, and have NEVER thought of doing something for someone else without the question, "What is in it for me?" There are even many so-called christians out there who have not been able to grasp the true meaning of what christianity really means.
It's about service! Your ONLY objective here on this earth is to serve willingly, and without any expectations of reward.
"Nothing is more honourable than doing a favor for someone who can't return it!" What drives you? What makes you get up every morning to go to a job that you hate, to spend all day with a boss that you despise, and to give lip service to your coworkers not because you want to, but because you have to? What makes you put up with all that crap? Is it just to make a living, just to get a paycheck at the end of the month? Is it just to bear the name that you have a job, that you are employed? What is it that drives you to do all that? There are many people who are striving for success.
They want to make a difference in their lives, to provide for their family, to make more money so they can buy the things that they want, and that's okay.
But there is something much more important than that.
The person who you become through this process is much more important than what you get from it.
From my perspective, the relationships that blossom along this journey, the new friends you make, the life you can provide for your family, the charitable organizations that you are a part of not because of profiling, or trying to project a certain image, but because you want to serve, that is what makes life worthwhile.
Isn't life about that deep desire that you have developed within you to make a difference in the life of someone else, to leave your mark? Isn't that what life is all about? Now, if a bunch of young people could be looking at ways to improve the quality of life to senior citizens and sick people who are poor.
If they are trying to provide support to other kids who are struggling with peer pressure, and kids who are struggling with drugs and alcohol problems...
What is your excuse? If a father could be so elated to know that his kids were healthy, they were not involved with drugs, they were not in any gangs, even though they didn't have much money.
If a father could be so happy to know that his 25 year daughter had waited until she got married, before she had her first child, his first grandchild...
What really makes you happy? That is the question you need to ask yourself today! The answer to that question can really set some things in motion, so think about it long and hard my friend.
The answer to that question CAN make a big difference in how your life turns out.
Let's make a difference!
