What Really Matters

Today my Chicago Bears played the Green Bay Packers for a spot in Super Bowl XLV.  Four quarters and three quarterbacks later, they lost.  For those of you who do not know of just how big of a game this was, I'll help you out.  The rivalry between the Bears and the Packers is the longest standing rivalry in professional football history.  If you were born into a Bear's family, you grew up hating the Packers (along with learning other essentials to life).  So, there you go.

Towards the end of the game, I realized how upset I had become at my favorite team and how much my mood had changed from the beginning of the game to the very disappointing end.  Why was I upset?  My team lost at a game.  A game.  Over the years I have realized just how much I have let these games control my life.

Imagine if I would let my relationship with God control me like these sports games do at times.  Every night, instead of surfing through the channels to find a game, I would flip through the pages of the very Word of God.  Instead of recording my favorite games to watch later, I would take notes and record teachings of the Bible.  Instead of waiting for the end of SportsCenter to see the top 10 plays, I would try to keep the 10 Commandments daily.

One thing I've been discovering in this short blessing we have called life is to find out the things that really matter.  I think King Solomon said it best when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes (at least we believe he wrote it).  He says that "everything is useless" on this earth.  Trying to find happiness from this earth is impossible, it is "like chasing the wind".  Think about this, Solomon was one of the wealthiest dudes that ever walked this planet.  He tried it all: women, money, alcohol, material posessions, food, and everything in between.  None of it was satisfactory!!  This was his conclusion in chapter 12 verse 13, "Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty." 

So what really matters in life?  A football game?  Money?  Living out the "American Dream"?  Solomon knew the answer.  But there's a difference between knowing the answer and obedience.  I pray that we would all find what is really important in life.
God Bless.

-PJC