|
|
Post by delo63 on Aug 1, 2017 12:19:34 GMT -6
If I asked you today, what is most valuable to you, what would you say? I bet I would get a lot of different answers. Some would say that their life is most important, others might say that its their wife, husband, or their kids. What is it to you? I thought hard about this, and my first reaction was that my wife is most important. I figured that was a good answer. I mean if I was in a situation where I would have to choose which one of us would survive, I know I would pick her without hesitating. I know some of you would agree with this, and I did too for a while. However, I think we’re looking at this the wrong way. If we determine that our number one priority is ourselves or even our spouses, then we are missing the mark. Now before I continue, I want to clarify that I am not saying you and your spouse are not important, but instead I am telling you that there is something even more important than you and your spouse. If we examine the American dream, we our taught that we can do whatever we want. That the goal in life is to get a good education; get married, start a career, and then start a family of your own. This is what most people in this society strive for. I can say that for a long time I was guilty of believing this philosophy. It is very easy to dwell into this thinking, especially when every school is teaching this. If we examine this further and listen more clearly to the message, then we can start to learn what is behind it. If we look at the main ideas that everyone is taught, then we start understanding what it is saying. To live a successful life, you need to do these things, this is your checklist so that you can be happy. You need to get a better education, you need to learn more, you need to get married, you need to find a good career and make a good amount of money, then you need to have kids and have a family. We can learn a few things from just these sentences. The first is that everything starts with you. This should pop out right away, and I believe is the reason that people buy into it so easily. Everything this society teaches you is that everything is about you. It’s about you being happy, its about you being successful, its about you doing what you want. It becomes a big issue when everything in society is about ourselves. This way we only think of ourselves and our decisions and life styles revolve around our own little bubbles. It teaches us that the only thing that is important is what we desire, which allows the survival of the fittest philosophy to grow. If you look at all the problems in our country, I bet you they all can be traced down to someone being selfish and self-seeking. |
|
|
|
Post by delo63 on Aug 2, 2017 6:50:09 GMT -6
Even the way this society views love is twisted by this. You are told that if you are happy, you should get married, but if they don't make you happy anymore, then you can leave and go find someone else to make you happy. Why do you think there is a record amount of divorces, compared to 20 years ago?
Another thing we can discover about this teaching, is that there is nothing else, but doing whatever you want in this world until you die. It is a teaching that tells us that we can do whatever we want, that nothing else matters. It is the same philosophy that atheists believe, to destroy hope in our lives. That our lives are meaningless, so we should just enjoy the ride while we can. Do you see the poison in this?
So, what does this have to do with what's most valuable to you?
The best way I can explain and show the whole point of this post, is to put us all in a couple scenarios.
The first scenario that I will throw at you, is that you’re driving to work, and you get smacked in the back by a truck, and it flips your car. You are bleeding out, and you have minutes left to live. Your phone is right there next to you, and you might have time for one call. What would you do with those last few minutes?
Would you call your wife, your kid, or would you pray?
I wonder what choice all of you would make, what is most important to you?
I will give you another scenario.
This next scenario is basically a retelling of Columbine. A gunman comes in and starts shooting up the place. You are trapped and can't move. The gunman comes up and points a gun at your head. He says, do you believe in God? If you say no, he will let you live, but if you say yes, he will shoot. What is your answer?
How many of you would say yes?
When I heard about what happened, as I was just a kid, I never understood, why anyone would say yes. It didn't make any sense, if they knew they would live, why wouldn't they do everything they could to live? It wasn't until I learned about Christ that I understood. When you love someone, you are willing to die for them.
So, I ask you, after reading this what is most important to you?
I would say for myself, it is and always will be Jesus. If I had one minute to live, that is who I would be talking to.
Preservingfaith.blog www.facebook.com/preservingfaithblog/
|
|
|
|
Post by whatif on Aug 6, 2017 16:42:03 GMT -6
Beautiful posts, delo63! Sorry I didn't respond earlier, as I just discovered I had some unread threads in this category!
|
|
|
|
Post by sawdy on Aug 6, 2017 18:13:09 GMT -6
Totally fitting that I saw this today. My sister is definitely buying the "me first", "noone else matters" culture. I think I may be sharing this soon.
|
|
|
|
Post by delo63 on Aug 6, 2017 19:59:01 GMT -6
please do share, I want others to realize what there getting themselves into
|
|
|
|
Post by Gary on Aug 7, 2017 10:14:55 GMT -6
Good thoughts, delo63. I think 2 Tim 3:1-2 speaks to this:
For me, the answer is Jesus.
|
|
|
|
Post by delo63 on Aug 7, 2017 11:28:19 GMT -6
You are right. I just cant help but try to convince people that they are ultimately hurting themselves. But the problem is how do we get them to listen?
|
|
