Really Cool Waterslides…

It was said money could by you happiness and in thought it is true. Happiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Now what money can by are certain possessions which will simulate the very emotion of being happy, however eventually it will die out.

To be big and popular it would be suggested you need to be known, full of fame or least have the epic 2000+ friends on Facebook. Big is one way of putting it, popular is another, compensating for something is a much better way of putting it.  They are lonely! They spend their $ on consumables and the many material possessions of todays society and try to find a way to “stay with it” or “up to date”. Why? Because without it they are a nobody, a simple guy or girl in a big, bad world trying to find their way. But that's sometimes to little for some.

Now if we put the money and the fame together we can mutate the next evolution known as FORTUNE. The way I see fortune is the combined collection of money and popularity together. Some would call it fame, however usually those who own a fortune don't go unnoticed… and this basically speaks for itself… just another escalation of exponential growth from some guy trying to be known and find happiness.

Then there is glory… usually these well known, so called happy people wish to be glorified and known to all man. To show who they are and what they have become from what, where, when and how!

In the end though what was achieved? Some reputation? a name? a big cheque book or a fancy house? Sounds good? awesome? ok? Well some of it is good and awesome and would be for a time.. but it wears off..

Some would call it success? Some would call it “the life”… I like to call it the BIG C. The Big Compensation. The compensation of filling in the blanks and the lack of satisfaction and the lack of accomplishment.

In the end what I am trying to get at is Success… it is defined through various definitions and methods and is also illustrated as fame, fortune, wealth and prosperity but really who is the world to dictate what success is?

Success is is simple.

“Success is based on ones opinion.” – Chris Furlong

You can only make out what your success is. If 2000 friends does that for you… good for you but for some, 1 best friend would beat a large number!

If you haven't got the point by now… then this was a failed attempt in succeeding!

We can elaborate and discuss it forever, but sometimes it was right there in the beginning.

Peace….

Colossians 3:15
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. – Colossians 3:15 (NIV)”

Have you ever thought about being called to peace? According to the apostle Paul, our membership in the church should be marked by peace. This peace is more than an umpire deciding who is right or wrong; peace in the church is an indication that Christ is ruling in our hearts. When we decide to make Jesus the ruler of our life, His lordship will challenge our egos, any envy, dissentions, or gossip to bow the knee before Him. How about you? Are you at peace with your brothers and sisters? If not, obey the call to peace and let Christ rule in your heart.

I thought this was very interesting…
As yes church can be quite the political football… There always seems to be a blame game going around suggesting people in high places or even lower places are doing X when they should be doing Y and with that in mind we have Z as the result.

Let me remind you NO ONE IS PERFECT, we all stuff up. Get over it. And yes sometimes things need to be addressed and action needs to be taken, but if we are at church to see what isn't right, to see how “we see fit” and “how it should be run” are we really at peace within the church.

Speaking of membership – this may imply the authenticity of being a member in writing but also a person who attends the church with the intention to be united as a body – essentially making the church itself.

Yes we are to be challenged,  but firstly to find peace and virtue within ourselves. Not to go out and challenge everyone else's egos, envy, dissentions or gossip. They should be dealing with that themselves. And before we should be challenging others we should be making sure we are in the right first.

We become so raced up in seeing what should be right for everyone else and checking up on them and their lives then our own… we lose all track of peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ. At the end of the day it is all about where we are with the Lord? Where we stand in his name! Is Christ ruling your heart? Or are you ruling it and others too?