Choose The Right Goal
“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”
~ Albert Einstein
Let’s Make A Deal! That show, with Monty Hall, was always a riot to watch when I was young. The absurdity of some of the costumes that people wore was entertaining enough. The absurdity amplified even more, though, when contestants were offered to trade up to something else that might, just might, be the prize of their dreams. Of course, the prize might also be nothing more than a goat.
What was entertaining was the drive of the contestants. They came in with a devil-may-care attitude. They were so obsessed with the possibility of going home with thousands of dollars or with a new car that they often made the poorest decisions imaginable. Some would even verbalize, when they lost, that it was all right. “I came here with nothing, I’ll leave here with nothing.”
That same kind of attitude often drives people in terms of their future. Some go for the future as if they were picking door number one, door number two, or door number three. To them, life is nothing more than a game. If they come out a winner, great. If they come out with nothing, so be it.
That’s not the way life is supposed to be. We should not be hyper-focused on becoming rich and successful at all costs. Rather, we should be focused on becoming people who cherish and live by values. That is what the Lord wants of us. God will heap reward upon us in His Kingdom. There should be no reason to try to gather the rewards of the world.
Our rewards, in this life, should be different than those sought after by people of the world. Our rewards should be things like the smile of another person, the thanks of another for having helped that person, the look in one’s eyes when they understand the teachings about God that we have shared with them. These rewards are not quantifiable according to the standards of the world. According to the standards of the Kingdom, however, they mean much.
We are going to be confronted by choices today. Some choices will ensure worldly success. Other options will make us more a people of the Kingdom. Which do you want for yourself? Choose wisely.
FAITH ACTION: Ask God to help you to make the right choices today.