Business
Weed-Eaters and Gyroscopes I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph. - Shirley Temple You and I live all day, every day in the culture of self-indulgence. If we’re aware of it, we can do something about it. From my own experience, I’ve learned that living a life without a transcendent purpose is a dead end street. Santa Claus isn’t going to bail us out, and there’s much more to life than barely making it each month or living in fear that no amount of money is enough. For most of us, living a life of purpose will require some adjustments. The question is: Is it worth it? For me, the answer is emphatically “yes!” I’m still tempted by those messages that I deserve the newest this or the best that, but I’m far more aware of those messages today, so I can more clearly see the choices. Over the past decade, I’ve been reorienting my life according to the purposes that challenge me and fill my heart with gratitude. As I’ve looked beyond my own selfish needs and tried to meet some of the needs of those around me, I’ve seen God use me to touch a few lives—and that both humbles me and thrills me. Sure, I could work harder and make more money, but I’ve gradually become deeply convinced that there are things more important than a little more money. In his book, The Call, author Os Guinness described the powerful, clear sense of purpose in the lives of the Puritans as an internal gyroscope that kept them on track no matter what was going on around them. That’s what my purpose is becoming for me. Someday, each of us will receive a report card of our attitudes and behaviors. You and I have been given great wealth in time, resources, and abilities. Jesus once remarked, “Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!” (Luke12:48) If we squander those great gifts on meaningless things, we’ll regret it now, and we’ll regret it even more when the report card comes out. A good grade isn’t based on not having any weeds. No, we get a good grade because we had the perception to see the weeds of worry and selfishness, and we mustered the courage to pull them whenever we saw them. I want to be a good weed puller. Stay tuned for tomorrow's episode... Day 15 of 40 Days to Make Your Money Count A Wise Man Has a Clear Plan “To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.” - Confucius