Today's International Herald Tribune reports that "As economy worsens, churches fill up in U.S...."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/14/america/church.php?page=1
Must be we only learn through the hard way? Does life have to suck that we pay attention/start to hear the soft promptings of God?
In Chinese, this is known as being 贱 - loosely translates to being cheap, low, despicable -> all rolled up.
But that's how we are,
- we regret only too late after things are all screwed up
- when we're too busy, we lament how little time we have
- when we're too free, we lament how lonely we are
- when we're poor, we lament our hunger
- when we're rich, we lament how busy we are making money
Really 贱!
2 comments:
Yup, I know what you mean. And I'm so guilty of it! We have to learn to count our blessings...
Hey! 贱 is too strong a word. We are HIS little children. And by putting us here on earth to go through all the necessary trials, and especially not able to see HIM face to face (not yet), we tends to forget HIM and focus on ourself. So here you go:
"It is not about you...."
He saved us and he called us to be his own people, not because of what we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace. 2 Timothy 1:9 (TEV)
*** *** *** ***
The Bible also teaches that Jesus came to save you for something. God has a purpose and a plan for your life; he created you for a specific mission.
The Bible says: “He saved us and he called us to be his own people, not because of what we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace” (2 Timothy 1:9 TEV). You can live life at one of three levels: survival, success, or the highest level – significance.
Most of the world lives at the survival level. Half of the world’s six billion people live on less than $2 a day. That’s survival. If you’re an American, even if you are the poorest of the poor in the United States , you live at the success level. Most of the world would love to have your problems. But you say, “If I’m so successful, why don’t I feel fulfilled?”
You don’t feel fulfilled because you were made for more than success. The ultimate goal of life is significance, not success. You were made for significance – and significance comes from knowing God, knowing his purpose for your life, and then doing it. Then you realize, “This is what I was made for! This is my niche! It’s me! Now I know why I’m here on the planet.”
All the success in the world can’t give you that.
That’s why the very first sentence of The Purpose Driven Life is a very counter-cultural statement: “It’s not about you.” That’s the exact opposite of what our culture says. Our entire culture says, “It’s all about you.”
You’ll never find satisfaction and significance by living for yourself because God didn’t wire you that way. You were made for God. There will always be a hole in your heart because you need something greater than yourself. You need God’s purpose. You’ve tried everything else. Why not try God?
So Jesus said, “I want to save you from your past. I want to save you for a purpose. And I want to save you by something.”
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