What is Success — Find the Joy in Your Life

We come into this world with nothing.  We leave this world with nothing.  And somewhere in between, we become consumed by the glitz and glamor of status and stuff.

But life doesn’t have to be about one-upsmanship and material wealth.

Bucket List is a story of a wealthy hospital administrator and an auto mechanic with nothing in common except terminal illness.  Watch how they come to terms with their reality and with life’s most important treasures:

In the March edition of In Touch, Dr. Charles Stanley states the four harmful effects of pursuit of status:

• Status is deceptive — status is based on the belief that we can and should compare ourselves to others to validate our self-worth.  God didn’t create us to be superior or inferior.  He created us to be unique and to fulfill His specific purpose for our lives.
• Status divides — status encourages artificial divisions between people and communities.  Inflated egos believe certain jobs are beneath them.
• Status hinders God from fully utilizing our gifts and potentials — we have no business telling the Lord what we will or will not do when He asks us to obey (Joseph served in prison for many years.  He didn’t think working as a prisoner was beneath him.)
• Status is disappointing — beauty, intelligence, wealth, creativity — all disappear.  Why spend so much time trying to compete and outdo others?  No friends, all enemies.

Dr. Stanley concludes, “God’s leadership is always best.  You trust that even if He sends you to do what is poor and lowly in the world’s eyes, He is working in you to produce fruit that is priceless from the viewpoint of eternity … He calls you to love, serve wherever He sends you to serve, and be all He has created you to be.  Serving God is the only way to truly experience the fulfillment, significance, and joy which your heart yearns.”

Amen!  I’d greatly appreciate your prayers.  My prayers are with you, too.