Success vs. Significance

10/14/2011

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible Verse of the Day: Ephesians 4:12 " For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. "

To quote one of my least favorite entertainers ,Madonna, "We are living in a material world." That is evident everywhere we look. People equate success with stuff. What you have is probably the most important factor in deciding how you're measuring up. But in the long run, our worldly possessions won't amount to much. If the question is how much will we leave behind when we die, the answer is the same for everyone on earth: Everything! Luke 9:25 says, " what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his very soul?" We are focused as Americans at accumulating things that make us feel good about ourselves; Houses, cars, boats , planes, women. The list is almost endless. But how much significance is gleamed from our stuff? Is it more important to have significance or success? Who's richer, the person who has all the money in the world like Donald Trump or the person who needs the least and still has abundant happiness like Mother Theresa? Success is based on achievement and performance. It is a fairly objective way to measure ourselves against others. In sports, it's called "scoreboard." The scoreboard never lies about who won and who lost. The record of each team is there for everyone to see, and to measure how they are doing . Significance is harder to define. It is much more subjective. What is significant to one person may be utterly meaningless to another. In the book Seven Days at the Links of Utopia the main character Johnny is mentoring to a young golfing protege named Luke Chisolm. Luke is searching for his significance in the world of golf, but more importantly in his own heart. Johnny defines significance for him as " character, relationships, values, virtues and faith. " In other words, what do you do with the time you have on this earth that will leave a mark or influence something or someone in a positive manner? What do people who meet you say about you? Do they know what you stand for? Do they know what you believe in? No matter how much stuff we have, we can't touch another person's life in a meaningful and significant way by the type of car we have or how many square feet our house is. But we can touch someone's life by giving them a ride when their car is broken down in the middle of a thunder storm or giving them a place to stay when they are in need. We can influence people by our actions and our love towards them when they are brought into our life for one reason or another. I am trying to apply these principles in my own life currently, with decidedly mixed results. Some days I do better than others, but at least now I am thinking about the lasting affects that my actions can have on others, both good and bad. I want to have an impact on people's lives that will illustrate to them the same love I have felt from my relationship with Jesus Christ. I want to be man of character and integrity who's word is worth something and who's values are easy to discern in any part of my life. I am striving for that level of faith that allows me to be proactive in reaching out to a hurting world and to be impactful in the lives of those whom I may not even know. To me, success and significance are intertwined to some degree. When I am significant in the ways defined above, then I will be successful. Money can be a very useful tool in helping to impact people's lives. I hope and pray for good stewardship with the financial blessings that come my way. I hope to accumulate experiences more than possessions, and to create memories of changed lives through my actions. I want to leave a lasting legacy of which Jesus Christ would be proud. In His name I pray, amen!