Life Satisfaction

I was reading the Sunday paper today and a headline jumped out at me "Where do I find Passion for Work?" Well that got my attention! Don't get me wrong ~~ I really like my job and my farmers are like family to me, but right now, I feel like we are drowning in a sea of paperwork and new programs due to the late passage of the farm bill. As I read the answer to the headline, I found out the man was asking for help because he felt lost. He didn't like his current job and couldn't think of another career he wanted to pursue. He was to the point of not even wanting to get out of bed in the mornings (Boy can I relate to that sometimes!) The columnist answered him by asking him to rate 8 areas of his life on a scale of 1-7 with 7 being "very satisfied". The areas were:

1) Friends & family
2) Fun Recreation
3) Physical environment
4) Romance/significant other
5) Mental self
6) Finances
7) Career
8) Physical self

The columnist urged the man to refocus his efforts and start looking for a career that does one thing: allows him to contribute in a way that makes him feel valuable. That being the best way to get your work energy to carry over into other aspects of your life. She also pointed out that work should just be one aspect of a happy life. She said that in the same way people mistakenly believe that a spouse should read their mind and make them feel better, many people think that their career is supposed to make them happy too!

As I read the column, I noticed several things, but the most glaring omission to the list was God/ spiritual health!!!!!! How can anyone even begin to evaluate their life without taking an honest look at their relationship with God?? Right now, I am in the midst of a Bible study that is kicking my butt and stepping all over my feelings! This study is about the small idols in our lives - things we put ahead of our relationship with God. Even good things like family and physical health and work can become an idol if we put them ahead of God in our priorities. I guess I just mistakenly thought only about addictions and bad things in our lives as being "idols" before this study. In Mark 10:17-31, Matthew 19:16-30, and Luke 18:18-30 (You know it MUST be importatnt when it is in 3 out of 4 gospels!) Jesus meets a young rich man who asks Jesus what he must do to atain eternal life. We have all read the story and it always ends in each of the accounts the same way - Jesus tells him to sell all he has and give it to the poor and then come follow him. The man goes away sad because he is wealthy and couldn't give up everything to follow Jesus. Kelly Minter, author of this study, points out that when the Lord tells us to part with our idols, He is looking at us and loving us. He sees that our idols are in the way. He also know that He has the power to turn whatever we parted with into a hundred fold in this lifetime, while also granting us eternal life. He can do this not because we make it possible, but because all things are possible with him!! So, now I just have to take that to heart and figure out what idol God is asking me to root out of my life - or to at least move it out of His way so that HE can be at the top of my list!!!!!!