Wake up before it is too late

The older I get the more amazed I am at the past and how it is both remembered and how it is forgotten.  Today is my mom's 88th birthday and after having a lovely dinner of excellent Chinese food (American style), we continued our evening of conversation.  I asked her about events over 50 years ago and they were still vivid in her mind, both of warned danger and of experienced absence of the same.  So much of our life is shaped by the warnings by others or the anxious thoughts we have.  "What if this happens?"  The reality is 90% of those things don't happen; possibly because our senses are heightened to the possibility.

Happy 88th birthday, Mom

Other powerful life shaping catalysis are expectations.  They come in all styles and shapes, both good and bad.  Dreams, like the "American Dream" or dreams of fame, fortune, and/or power can drive a person to do many amazing and even dangerous, morally corrupt, even criminal acts, all to reach the allusive dream that is just over the next hill.  You know where it is... at the end of the rainbow.  

There are expectations laid down by bosses and work that drive us and we in turn use our "position" to abuse our families, friends and character to meet the corporate bottom line and keep our job.  Some of us, both men and women, love and crave the accolades that achievement in work can bring.  I have seen this in the youngest salespeople who desire to climb the proverbial corporate ladder, only to find the last rung and realize there is nothing lasting at the top.  I have seen even pastors who shepherd their flock get trapped in the expectation of tradition, church boards, denominations, and even fall prey to the evil voice that size matters and their measure in man's eyes is the Sunday morning count, the production quality of their service and the cathedral/building size.  They, too, find that when it is finished, their trail has left their own children far from a walk with Christ because there was not time for them, only expectations, heaps of expectations of them and their entire family.  Christ said, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world , yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" Mark 8:35-37 NIV  

In our American society filled with some very small churches and some very large ones, we might ask, "What good is it for a man to gain a big congregation, yet have his family crushed... his character smashed... his marriage neglected and trashed ?  I'm not singling out pastors, but this conviction is on every person great and small in a society that materialism has become their god.  We have attempted to make the one true God conform to our image; the image we want Him to be.  How pathetic to think we can turn the table on an Almighty God.  It is time we stop trading the important values of life to chase the dreams and expectations of ourselves or others.

We have lost the time honored values of family, friends, faith, trust, virtue, and character.  We have traded these things for bigger houses, newer cars, better jobs, more toys, more, more, more of more.  Where are the hopes that a little girl might someday become a wonderful, loving mom and wife?  Where are the hopes that dad could be at every game and teach his children how to enjoy each others' company, to laugh and play?  We have chosen "stars" on TV and pay them with ridiculous sums of money rather than value heroes in real life.  Think about it, there are very few heroes in our lives today; only fakes and athletes (real good role models).

Parents expectations can be another area of good or disaster, utter disaster.  We take our young children and fulfill our dreams through them; or we seek their achievements so we will look better or feel better about ourselves; often times, their desires are second to our hopes and dreams.  We push our children to the brink of their abilities and sometimes beyond; 

Sept. 6, 2007 -- There is a sharp rise in suicides across the board in teens, says the CDC.

They are up 76% in girls aged 10-14, up 32% in girls aged 15-19, and up 9% in boys aged 15-19. It's the biggest spike in 15 years, the CDC's latest teen-suicide statistics show.

Reported by www.stateuniversity.com, January 24, 2011, "Nearly 1,100 suicides will occur on college campuses this year. Many more students think about suicide or make a suicide plan. In the past fifty years, the suicide rate for those age 15-24 increased by over 200%. About 12 people aged 15-24 will commit suicide today – that is one about every two hours.

Caucasians account for over 90% of all completed suicides."

Our expectations and dreams are killing our children... they are killing us. 

It is time Americans revolted within themselves and banished the evil, vile, demon of materialism out of their lives and re-calibrate their goals of life.

2000 years ago, Jesus addressed people headed down the same path; we are just like them, but on the freeway.  "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
 

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
 

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Matt 6:24-34 NIV
Jesus gives us a strong warning about our reality.  He will judge and the outcome may be very different than what you thought.  Listen to His words:  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'  Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"' Matt 7:21-23 NIV  

Here is another reality check for our lives:  Jesus, the Son, again speaking,
"For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:34-36 NIV

My Great-Nephew

My best friend is about to be a grandfather for the first time.  I am so happy for him.  Children are a gift from the Lord, but we, like His disciples get caught up in the doing and forget to just be with the children.  We need to be grateful, satisfied, content, eager to please our Heavenly Father.  Look at this:   "Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there." Matt 19:13-15 NIV


Wake up before it is too late; the dream you are chasing is robbing your soul.  The expectations you are trying to live up to will weary you to death and if you ever achieve them, you will see how futile the effort has been... and for what?