Religion & Spirituality

God's definition of Success vs. Human Definitions of Success - My old pastor's time with an Oscar Winner

Gods definition of Success vs. Human Definitions of Success - My old pastors time with an Oscar Winner

I want to protect the Oscar Winner's reputation so I am not revealing his identity on here. I want to preserve what little dignity this guy has left.

When I was in the earlier years of university a guy who used to make millions as a comedian shared his story about coming to God at a bible study at school when he began his time in the Christian fellowship. He went to parties every single day and told comedic jokes and his viewers paid him with money and drugs and food. He drove fancy cars and designer clothes and he was thrilled when an oscar winner hearing about his coming of age story offered to let him spend a few nights at his home so he could mentor him for free.

The man eagerly flew to the guy's house thinking this would be the experience of a life time and he was wrong. The man was so lonely - spent hours and hours begging him to listen to him and keep the conversation going. HIs children didn't love him or want anything to do with him and would only talk to him when they wanted money. His wife just married him to make herself famous and would sometimes go months or years without sitting at the dinner table with him and nobody loved him or had any concern for his welfare and happiness and he felt so lonely and unloved.

At this point the guy who was full of hate after feeling like nobody cared and thinking being rich and famous would solve his problem in his lifelong quest for approval by humans realized if being as rich as this oscar winner could not get him love and respect then he was done chasing this ambition and he returned to university to get a BA so he could work as a pastor instead. He is now married to a beautiful woman who loves him - has amazing children - a wonderful fellowship full of kind and pleasant people and he is not addicted to drugs and alcohol like he was before. He also realized material things do not bring happiness.

I remember reading a book one time - I bought the book and did not read the whole thing. It was about a black doctor who commits suicide over a lawsuit battle with some white people who murdered a friend of his when he chose to have a party in his house to celebrate his career in a white neighbourhood during the racist era of America. There was was sentence I remember very clearly about the doctor "he commanded lot of respect but never any love."

When I was a kid - I adopted my dad's definition of success - I was a thin and anorexic looking toothpick who was miserable and scared every single day - I got good grades but was filled with misery and depression and I never had any concept of respect - the only thing I know was pride and ego and arrogance and fear.

Now I live to glorify God - I lose weight for health reasons and not to get attention - I study to glorify God and not to be worshiped by human beings - I earn money to help the people I care about and to glorify God - not so I can eat prime rib and mock those who are eating curds and cheese.

I've adopted God's definition of success and I'm satisfied for the first time in my life.

God's definition of Success vs. Human Definitions of Success - My old pastor's time with an Oscar Winner
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