This is the word of God!
Yes, today I am going to take a walk on the wild side and give you a little spirituality in to my lesson, and I know that we should not talk about religion in public schools, but I don't care. This lesson is going to put all my teachings in spirituality form. We are going to take a look at the often read book The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, and I know there are a lot of people that have read it and only use the parts of it that are convenient, and say they are living the way their god wants them to! But, I will be the first to tell you I cheated and picked through the book and did not go in order. Oh well, at least I am not going to pretend that I am the good soldier, and will do everything it says, and then take credit for being a good follower. I will try my best to be my best, and that is ALL I can do!
Reading through the book I came across an appropriate section on what I had been teaching, and how it was going to tie together, and I came up with Day 33, and HOW REAL SERVANTS ACT! In it states the WORLD defines greatness in terms of POWER, possessions, prestige, and POSITION! Jesus, however, measured greatness in terms of service, not status. God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many serve you! You are SHAPED to be a SERVANT, and not SELF SERVING! If you are SELF SERVING you are more likely to misuse your SHAPE for personal gain!
I have to bring some spirituality into this because I believe it is all tied together, but if you are not spiritual, that is cool. I only wanted to make the comparison, because some people HIDE BEHIND their faith and pretend they are a good servant when they don't abide by the qualities that make them one! I suspect Jo, Pat's boss might have been like that! Unless Jo is not spiritual, then Jo can be like that right? Nizzo! In the civilian world they call that a fake, or a hypocrite! I will finish my series tommorrow, and look over INTEGRITY, as that will be what it will cover! I will tell you that I don't claim to be a bible thumper, and I could never try to tell someone else what they should believe in, because sprituality is personal, and really is my own and my families business as to what I believe in, but this is my class so I will let you in on what I believe!
Gotta go now, as we are going tubing to the down the Apple River!
Later,
Erik
5 Comments:
Though you say your story is ficticious, I know it to be a true scenario. Pat is a real person and Pat was just as vicious and "corporate" as Jo. In fact, they worked together at being evil every day and Pat loved EVERY MINUTE of it. She DESERVES what she got. Pat her/himself created many another "Pat" by her actions in the workplace.
Take off your rose colored glasses my friend! You may think you know "Pat" but you have no idea what evil things "Pat" is capable of. Pat is loyal, but exactly like Jo in the Pat hides wraps her hypocritical ways in spirituality just the same. Pat is not a caring person, Pat doesn't work for anyones betterment but Pat's. You're kidding yourself if you actually think people are reading this and believing your drivel. What makes you an expert?
Face it, for Pat, what goes around comes around.
I think the comment right above is a perfect example of how we all have scenario's in life but we also get to choose how to handle them. Mrs./Mr. anonymous seems to know a little something about Pat and it also seems to me that there is some (tons?) of resentment. Anonymous could have written something less negative but instead seems almost happy that Pat's role at the company ended. I wonder if anonymous has Pat's position right now???
But to take something out of today's lesson...A self serving person will never be satisfied. Giving however, is very satifying. Jesus is considered by many as the greatest person to have walked the earth. But the ONLY reason he came here was to serve us! Even those of us that are only interested in our own careers. Remember what Rockefeller's estate holder told the media when asked what his boss left after he died? EVERYTHING! So no matter what issues we have with other people, make sure you settle up with God while you can!
Dan
Thank you anonymous!
You have proven my point! Could I call you Jo or a Jo proponent? If you had been reading my WHOLE lesson, I have not made Pat look innocent, as I have stated in this fictitious story that Pat TOOK OFF Pats non rose colored glasses and smelled the roses! Pat was in the make believe world, and realized Pat was in a very selfish and crappy place with crappy and selfish people and did not want to be there, and made that decision with the qualities stated in the last lessons! I am sorry you have to work someplace where that even has to exist, since you have admitted that it is actually like that! Too bad for you, maybe someday you can see the light also! I never clainm to be an expert BTW, and no one has to believe what I say, as I am going right off what the definitions are. But I will say one thing! And it will be easy to answer if you are in the states right now! WOULD YOU DIE FOR ME? Because I would for you! I can honestly tell you that I follow ALL these rules I have written, and that is who is writing them, so that is what your gonna have to believe. Thank you for giving me the other side, even though it wasn't a very good arguement , in my opinion! You say I have rose colored glasses? Well, at least I can still have ROSE COLORED glasses from Iraq! Maybe you should clean yours off and come over from the dark side! See if you actually have ANY one of these qualities, you wouldn't be trying to find blame, because by my stories we CAN SEE who is at fault, and if that is true of Jo, which you didn't deny, you would look to yourself and see if you are in the place you are suppose to be! And stop hiding behind the word anonymous, but I haven't gotten to the word integrity yet! And I wasn't going to include coward, but I will give you a chance to email me personally before I include that!
Have a great weekend!
Erik
Erik, I read The Purpose driven Life. Reading each chapter, everyday, with my morning coffee.
I have been trying my hardest to live as a faithful servant of God's, but it is so difficult.
I feel like a hypocrite. I feel like a failure. Just yesterday I had a total melt down. I am so afraid for my son. But if I truly trusted in God, I would have no fear.
Once I heard someone say in a sermon, that a priest went to hear a dying woman's confession. When the priest ask the woman if she would like to make a last confession. She answered, "Father I have been so rotten and evil in my life, that I am hopeless.God doesn't want to listen to me." The priest said to her, " My dear lady, God will accept you into his house, before the man or woman who says I have been so good and great...for you good lady have already admitted you are a sinner. God heals the sick soul, the person who believs he is not sick, is the one that does not need God."
When I heard this person tell this story, I swear he could of been talking to me. That is how I was feeling. I was feeling like a hypocrite.
I also do believe that what goes round comes round. I have seen it happen...You reap what you sow.
I have enjoyed your stories about the virtues we should live by...I'll miss your blog when you go home...Stay safe and God Bless.
When my children were in the sandbox, I realized just how much I needed to lean on my faith. Because if I could trust my own eternity to our Savior, then those most precious to me must certainly be in His care as well. It was the best gift I could give them and the most important thing I could do for them. Faith and integrity DO go hand in hand - to know enough to realize that God is in control, and prayer and trust are a wonderful thing. God bless you as you serve.
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