Member Care - What is success?

Years ago I made a decision that I wanted to be wealthy in relationships. As a young pastor, I experienced the overwhelming expression of love towards a man in the church who was having a heart transplant. I realized that even though he was in the middle class in wealth, he was rich in relationships. I knew inside that the relationships had a greater worth than money.

That decision has served me well. I am not a wealthy man financially but I have been blessed with a great family and good friends.

Wherever I have served I have made it a priority to develop friendships. I knew if I was going to make it, never mind thriving, I needed people walking with me. I cannot sit back and expect someone to reach out to me or make the first move, I had to be proactive, take responsibility for my relational world, and take the initiative in developing friendships.

The key to any success I have had in life is surrounding myself with good people.

What is success for you?
Hopefully it begins with your relationship with God. If that is not right, then nothing is right. You live with a void inside of you.

Secondly it is the human relations you develop, simply family and friends.

If you have a vibrant relationship with God and healthy relationships with family and friends, you are a wealthy person.

I read article after article that describes America’s crisis of loneliness. I think there are many contributing factors but loneliness will destroy you spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally. It has a negative impact on all of your life.

My life has not been perfect. My choices have not all been good but I believe I have got the main one right.

Love God and love man.  

If you get those two right, everything else falls in place.