The "Successful Life"

I found Charles R. Swindoll’s writing (below) in my email inbox this morning, and was abruptly jolted back in time with vivid memories of my life. The person he describes here used to be me. I was one who pursued the  “successful life” with all I had. It controlled my life. It was my focus… earning more money, working for my next pink Cadillac, building my “dream empire” of a national sales team, saving for our “dream home,” and saying I was following God but not really living an obedient life to Him. I’ll share more in a post tomorrow, but for now, I’ll just share this potential wake-up call from Mr. Swindoll with you…

The Race Is On
by Charles R. Swindoll

I again saw under the sun 
that the race is not to the swift, and 
the battle is not to the warriors.
Ecclesiastes 9:11

Whenever I scope out the scene here where I live, I observe a large number of people who are pursuing the so-called successful life.

They would say the way to make it in this world—the way to succeed—is to increase speed, get stronger, be competitive, think more cleverly, plan longer, and have a visionary strategy—hire people with the skills that are needed and life will be successful.

The race is on.

Get up earlier. Go to bed later. Make work a top priority. Don’t get sentimental about stuff like children, marriage, home, and the family. All that will have to wait.

And religion? Leave that for the over-the-hill gang and preachers.

The philosophy of our day will attempt to suck us in and convince us that if we’re going to make it, we’ve got to run faster. . . . We’ve got to be stronger and more competitive and more clever, even more manipulative. Otherwise, we won’t be successful.

Don’t you believe it!