What is it? How do you define it for your life?
This word comes up often in our thinking and our conversations with others. As a Christ-follower we often struggle when we are confronted with this word in our lives and ministries.
I think a lot of us struggle with how to define "success" in our lives. For Christmas my wife gave me a copy of the book "The Winners Manual" written by Jim Tressel, head football coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes (go Buckeyes!!!). I had read through this book earlier (my wife had secured me a copy from our public library - my wife takes great care of me). It was so good that I decided I would like to have a copy of my own to reread and to mark up. In this book Coach Tressel attempts to answer the question, "What does it really mean to be a winner?" On the book jacket, Coach Tressel, states "We call it the Winners Manual - a personal playbook for success (I added the empahsis here), filled with insights on what it takes to be a winner in the game of life from some of the greatest coaches, athletes, winners, thinkers, and leaders in the world." There is that word "success" again. I don't have what I would consider to be a great definition of what success is but I do know that I want to do all I can to be the person that Jesus wants me to be in living for and in serving Him. So, that's why I'll continue my journey in life and in search of "success" from a biblical point of view.
By the way, I just happened to "catch" part of a message last night by Ed Young, Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church in Dallas, TX. He defined success as "walking and living in the will of God daily." I think that is one of the best definitions of success for a Christ-follower that I've heard. What do you think?
By the way, why don't you purchase a copy of "The Winners Manual" and let me know what you think of it???
-rwsmith
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Deal No Deal
Fellow staff members have been giving me a "hard" time for quite awhile for not blogging. They each have their own "blogs". So, to quiet them and to challenge myself in a new exercise I've "officially" entered the world of blogging.
There's a game show on TV that I have found to be entertaining, challenging and relaxing for me to watch. It's called "DEAL or NO DEAL". My wife even gave me my own personal electronic game of this show so that I can play it interactively on our TV.
In case you haven't seen the show, it is hosted by Howie Mandel (who is an interesting character himself). Twenty-six lovely ladies carrying 26 briefcases enter the stage. Each of the cases has a dollar amount in it ranging from one cent to one million dollars. A contestant selects a briefcase that they believe the million dollars is in. The contestant begins picking other cases - a few at a time - trying to work their way to the million dollars - BUT - after every few cases - there's a banker who offers a certain amount of money to try to buy them out of the game.
The show's host, Howie, then looks at the contestant and asks the question, "DEAL or NO DEAL"? The contestant has to decide whether to take the offer and end the game or keep playing.
In life God has made "deals" available to us as His creatures. He made Adam and Eve a deal, "The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it. But the Lord God gave him this warning: 'You may freely eat any fruit in the garden except fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you will surely die'" (Genesis 2:15-17 NLT).
What was the deal? They could live in the Garden of Eden and have personal fellowship with God - IF - they just stayed away from one particular tree. Great deal - right?
But then Satan came along (in the form of a snake) and offered them another deal (which they took) and we all know what happened as result of that.
On the flip side of this WE make (or at least try to) deals with God. It goes something like this:
God, if you'll do this for me, I've got this great deal for You ...
- I'll begin tithing
- I'll start going to church
- I'll start going to church every Sunday (and possibly a Bible study too)
- I'll read my Bible every day
- I'll be less judgmental
- I'll quit smoking
- I'll quit drinking
- I'll quit swearing
- I'll quit gossiping
- I'll be more patient
- I'll love my wife, husband, or children more and spend more time with them
- I'll stop being unfaithful to my mate
On, and on we go.
What deals have you tried to make with God?
God offers us a deal - eternal life in Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). It is only through Jesus that we can be forgiven of our sins and have a personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. ""There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them" (Acts 4:12 NLT).
What do you think - DEAL or NO DEAL????
- rwsmith
There's a game show on TV that I have found to be entertaining, challenging and relaxing for me to watch. It's called "DEAL or NO DEAL". My wife even gave me my own personal electronic game of this show so that I can play it interactively on our TV.
In case you haven't seen the show, it is hosted by Howie Mandel (who is an interesting character himself). Twenty-six lovely ladies carrying 26 briefcases enter the stage. Each of the cases has a dollar amount in it ranging from one cent to one million dollars. A contestant selects a briefcase that they believe the million dollars is in. The contestant begins picking other cases - a few at a time - trying to work their way to the million dollars - BUT - after every few cases - there's a banker who offers a certain amount of money to try to buy them out of the game.
The show's host, Howie, then looks at the contestant and asks the question, "DEAL or NO DEAL"? The contestant has to decide whether to take the offer and end the game or keep playing.
In life God has made "deals" available to us as His creatures. He made Adam and Eve a deal, "The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it. But the Lord God gave him this warning: 'You may freely eat any fruit in the garden except fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you will surely die'" (Genesis 2:15-17 NLT).
What was the deal? They could live in the Garden of Eden and have personal fellowship with God - IF - they just stayed away from one particular tree. Great deal - right?
But then Satan came along (in the form of a snake) and offered them another deal (which they took) and we all know what happened as result of that.
On the flip side of this WE make (or at least try to) deals with God. It goes something like this:
God, if you'll do this for me, I've got this great deal for You ...
- I'll begin tithing
- I'll start going to church
- I'll start going to church every Sunday (and possibly a Bible study too)
- I'll read my Bible every day
- I'll be less judgmental
- I'll quit smoking
- I'll quit drinking
- I'll quit swearing
- I'll quit gossiping
- I'll be more patient
- I'll love my wife, husband, or children more and spend more time with them
- I'll stop being unfaithful to my mate
On, and on we go.
What deals have you tried to make with God?
God offers us a deal - eternal life in Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). It is only through Jesus that we can be forgiven of our sins and have a personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. ""There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them" (Acts 4:12 NLT).
What do you think - DEAL or NO DEAL????
- rwsmith
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