Dreams, Success, and Priority

Growing up I always wanted to be something great.  I wanted to accomplish awesome things that many would think to be astonishing goals.  I remember fondly practicing my juke moves on the invisible linebacker at the fifty yard line which was my grandma’s front yard.  I remember hitting a racquetball over the house across the street and thinking how my skill would equate to hitting a ball over the fence at Wrigley.

I was still dreaming big dreams when I graduated high school.  The dreams changed as I focused more on what I would do with my life.  Instead of standing in front of thousands of adoring fans while holding the Heisman, I turned my thoughts to the huge corporate office that awaited me after I received my diploma.  As we all know, most dreams do not come to fruition and most plans never materialize like we would wish.

Now sitting close to the age of 30, many of my dreams have changed yet again.  I no longer wish to work for a fortune five hundred company.  I realize there are more important things to seek after than wealth or popularity.  There are loftier goals that I should be aiming towards.  One day I hope to be a good father.  I aspire to be a loving and supportive husband to my wife Jana.  Most of all I hope to serve God in a manner that is pleasing in his sight.

When we are young, we see the pedestals that athletes, movie stars, and singers are placed on.  Naturally we grow up thinking that they are the perfect picture of success.  As we get older, we start understanding the importance of the dollar in our society.  We search long and hard for a way to make money because our society measures success by how much stuff we have.  It is easy to fall into this trap of measuring our lives on material things.

In the end our success will not be measured in silver and gold.  Our achievement scale will not be weighted down by our popularity or athletic skill.  Instead, our success will be measured by how committed we are to God.  We will see the good we have done by building our families on the sturdy foundations of God’s word.  Our success will be shared by those who we influenced to trust in God’s word and obey his commands. While many of the dreams we dream growing up are usually unachievable, an eternal life in heaven is a goal that is in our reach.  If we strive to serve our Father and put him first in our lives, he has promised to provide for our needs and give us an everlasting life with him.

The world does its best to influence us to put other things before our God. Satan will trick us into thinking that our jobs and families should come before our God.  So we must examine ourselves daily to see where God ranks in our lives.  We must strive to make God our number one and let everything else fall into place.  So I leave with this question today, what priority level does God have in your life today?

³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt 6:32-33 (KJV)

Noah Hall