Its funny how people see success. When we are young, we are taught the meaning of success by our parents or social media. Typical success usually consists of a college degree and a big house. It makes sense when these things make people happy. But what happens when you acquire these things and you get used to it? You want bigger and better things. You want a bigger house, a faster car, or a higher truck. So we work for money to get these things.
Money is so valuable when you can do almost anything with the right sum. But money does NOT grow on trees. While a lot of us dream of having stacks of money, it takes time and work to acquire. Theres a way I think about money before I sometimes buy something and it has to do with time. I work a minimum wage job, usually 5 hours a day. That totals to about $35 dollars a shift. If i buy something thats just 35 dollars that would be one shift. Another way of thinking about it, one nike shoe=3 shifts=15 hours of work. Now lets go back to the big house..a little more expensive than a shoe, right? Thats a lot of time in you’re life you’re spending on that house if you don’t have an amazing job. But what if you didn’t have an amazing job? From experience, you’ve skipped many nights out with your close friends, birthday parties with your families, and church services you’ve had to skip.
Now this is where i have a problem. Usually if you lose something, you can get it back or buy another one. Time on the other hand is a non renewable resource. You can’t get back that hard weekend of work you could’ve spent doing something that matters or something that made you happy. That sounds bad, but if we look at it on a larger scale, all the hours you will spend in your life on the clock will not be given back to you. So why not find an occupation that matters? So when your old, sitting in your big house, drinking the expensive brand of chocolate milk how will you feel about how you’ve spent your time? This also goes back to success. Steve jobs accomplished a lot. A lot of time and work went into his company. In the end, he left the iPhone here. Did God ask him how did the iPhone glorify him? I would like it think so. James 4:14 says “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that it appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” It seems to me this “vapour” of our life shouldn’t be wasted on hard work that gets us amazing things that ultimately does not go with us to eternity. Most christians have already become successful. They’re saved, and going to heaven. But why stop there? Spend your life serving God. Seeing a soul saved beats driving a Lambo, I can guarantee that.
This mission trip i’ve signed up for is costing me a lot. I’m selling my sexy jeep. I’m quitting my jobs. I’m leaving the comfort of my home for very long time. Do i need these things? These things are of the world. I was happy to enjoy them, but clinging to these things is dangerous. Look for things eternal and you will find true meaning of success.
