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Greed, worry, aimlessness: What's eating you?

By Gil Kinney

(Published September 02, 2008)

Gil Kinney is the pastor of Real Life Assembly Church in Fort Mill.

Prov. 3:6 says, "In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success."

	Do you know that God really does want you to be happy and successful? The biblical way of arriving at this, however, is to put God first in our lives and allow Him to direct us in all we do. Verse 7 of this same chapter tells us not to be wise in our own eyes but to fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
	Sin and selfishness will lead us far away from genuine success, but following the precepts of our Lord leads us to a life of hope, joy and peace. A pursuit of 'things' often leaves us feeling empty, while a pursuit of God and the things of God brings the fulfillment we often seek.
	I am told that in the Bay of Naples there's a jellyfish that loves to swallow a certain snail. But the snail has a hard shell, and the jellyfish can't digest it. So, the snail fastens itself to the inside of the jellyfish, and slowly begins to eat it. By the time the snail is fully grown, it has consumed the entire jellyfish.
	Now the point is, a lot of the things we think we can handle end up consuming us. Things like alcohol, worry, greed, or simply the aimlessness of our lives.
	Fred Smith, the author of "Learning to Lead," once sent all of his friends a letter with these three questions for them to ask themselves:
	1. Am I enjoying what I'm doing?
	2. Am I happy with where I'm going?
	3. Am I satisfied with what I'm becoming?
	One of his friends, a top Wall Street broker, called him and said, "When I read the question, 'Am I satisfied with what I'm becoming?', I said, 'Absolutely not!' I'm tired of grabbing the Wall Street Journal first thing every morning like it's my Bible. My life has no meaning outside of my investments, so, today I liquidated them all - I'm quitting! Tomorrow I'm beginning a new life, and I want to thank you for giving me the courage to do it."
	How about you, today? Where do you stand in light of those three questions? Don't end your life feeling empty, having your insides eaten away by a quest for things that can't satisfy. God has a wonderful plan for your life.
	One of my favorite Bible verses, Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
	Talk to the Lord often. Get into His presence today and let Him tell you about those wonderful plans.