LIFE

Last year we talked about "onelife" meaning that God has given us one life to live and the importance of what we do with that life. This month we wil be talking about LIFE again. In the Game of LIFE you roll a dice and try to "win." What constitutes a successful LIFE? Do you want a successful LIFE? Do you want to win?

Succes starts out as a decision. Plan and simple. And keep in mind that when I say success I don't use that word with the same connotation as the world. Success is not money, fame, fortune, all that stuff that is thrown at us as the definition of success by the world. I mean Brittany Spears has money and seems like her marriage relationship is rocky. Michael Jackson is so famous he has stepped into infamy and is now living somewhere in the Dubia region of the world. Even someone like Mel Gibson who has the money and the fame has recently, publicly announced that he has an alcohol problem and is asking for help. So no. When I say success I mean something totally different.

To me... success is threefold:
1. Positive mentality: Of course our brain will struggle with doubt, lust, hate and all the other temptations that arise, but what seperates a successful person from a "loser" is that we strive to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. Even though wrong thoughts may enter, we don't entertain them.
2. Healthy realtionships: A successful person chooses their relationships wisely. Sure, someone will pass through our detectors, but we concsiously evaluate & re-evaluate every relationship. Do they take out of us more than we are willing to give? Do they pull me away from my relationship with God? Do they encourage me? Do they influence me to do wrong or right?
3. Consistently meets personal needs: A succesful person is not in want obviously. This doesn't mean that if you don't have the fifteen bedroom home with three Bently's in the garage you are not a success. It means that you have the means to meet your needs. Our needs? Shelter, food, clothing. Keep in mind, sometimes the Jones' with their mansion can't pay the bills becuase they are living above their means. That is not success: Portraying the image of success while suffering in the reality of poverty.

Put those three things as our new definition of success. Now we can move to try and "win" this game of LIFE the way God wants us to win. And the first step is "success starts out as a decision." You have to make your mind up that you want to be successful. It's amazing but there are people who have a deaftest mentality. They think the wrong things. And #1 of success is to have a positive mentality. So here are three things you must keep out of your brain...
a. "What if I fail?" Do not spend your time thinnking about failure. In fact, the obsession with specualtion is futile. When most of your thoughts are peppered with "if's" then you need to take captive your thoughts.
b. "What do others think about me?" Everyone has opinions. Some good, some bad. Are they leading your LIFE or are you livign your LIFE? If you practice hard, keep your character strong, and always give your best efforts, the results will speak for themselves. You know what I always say "Bump people"
c. "What about my past?" Dwelling on what was will keep you from what can be. Keep the past in its perspective. Learn from it. But then move on. There is a present you are neglecting when you dwell on the past. Then you run into the risk of repeating the past.