4. What’s Important?

PART 1:

Walking with a good friend can be fun, relaxing and healthy. You can talk with each other and share a feeling. You can tell a joke, solve a single problem or those of the world.

“If only the world would listen to me and my friend’s solutions to its problems, boy, would things be straightened out in a hurry!”

There is something about walking and talking that is different from being alone in the still of the midnight hour. You see things in a different light. You hear another’s point of view and are enlightened with other options.

“If only this feeling could last now and forever! I would never have to cry again; never have to worry any more because I know the free feeling I just got will last!”

But id doesn’t. Just as fast as it comes, it leaves. I’m empty once again, struggling with the same problems that never go away. Why won’t my problems go away?

First, I need to find out what a “problem” is. It is a situation that stands in the way of my feelings, my desires. It is a problem because I make it a problem. Why worry about situations I can do nothing about?

I have found an answer to solving problems. God gave it to me after walking with a good friend. Find out what’s important to you. Determine what that is and then dow what is right to resolve the situation. Ask yourself the question, “Is it important to me?” If the answer is “yes,” you will always find a solution.

If it is not important, you will not worry about it. It cannot harm you. If it is not important to you, then it can’t get your attention nor your energy. You can simply get rid of it as “not being important to you.”

It is not important:

(a) That you get the last word in a discussion. It may be more important to shut up.(b) That you feel good all the time. As something becomes more important, you forget about not feeling good anyway.

(d) That you become a part of the mainstream of life in order to please others.

(e) That you date, have a lover or get married to please others.

(f) That you get approval from parents, friends or associates about your decisions or your lifestyle.

PART II:

How do we know when we are growing and reaching our goals? We know when deep inside our being; we truly feel that things, which used to be important to us no longer, are.

We have found more important things in our lives, such as:

(a) Goals and careers;(b) Finding our own selves and loving ourselves;

(d) Being happy with our growth to love when unloved;

(e) Making others happy by our sharing;

(f) Helping to solve drug abuse among your people;

(g) Listening to someone else’s problems and not attempting to solve them;

(h) Enjoying the simple things; and

(i) Knowing God’s plan for our lives.

Nothing else is as important as these points that are listed above. They may not be important to you; but then that doesn’t really matter, since we are all entitled to our opinions.

Remember that some things are more important to one person than another. What is important to you may not be important to me, and therefore does not justify my energy to think about it. I can save that energy for something that is important to me. I may become concerned – should become concerned – but my concern is not important enough to argue the point. It just isn’t important.

When something is important to me, a feeling of certainty comes over me and I feel energetic. I become alive – ideas form and flow, I am motivated to act on the knowledge that what I’m doing is the most important thing, – for now.

When I have to make a decision about something or someone, how do I decide? I must always ask myself, “What is the most important to me at this time?” Is it more important to prove myself to someone, or to have patience and believe in myself?

Is it more important to:

(a) Love or not to love?(b) Show the world I can and will be successful or just simply be successful?

(d) Stick with winners or identify with losers?

(e) Plan my future or go into it blindly?

(f) Walk in truth and light, or stay in the dark and stumble?

(g) Stick with it (meet commitments) or give up?

(h) Take the good with the bad, and face reality (be responsible), or escape to the sugar world of fantasy?

(i) Train my body, mind and emotions that it cannot always have what feels good, sounds good or looks good for the mere sake of pleasure; or sacrifice and develop character by doing what is right for me and the situation (discipline)?

(j) Show kindness, be grateful, give credit to those who help me; ask for help and need someone (show respect), or be stubborn and do it “my way?”

The most difficult examples above are the most important when you want to determine the answers to your problems.

Most of all, be important to yourself. It is difficult to feel important when people around you tell you that you are nothing. Well, my friend, you may believe that you are not the most important person to your mother, your friends or to me, but one thing is sure. You are extremely important to your Creator.

God made you as the most important of all His creation. Being in tune with Him will help you to realize that fact.

Jesus once said, “If I care for little birds and they are important to me, then how much more important are you – my highest form of creation – to Me?”

You are important, to yourself and to God. If others cannot appreciate your importance, so what? God sees it, and after all, He is the only One we want to please.

If others are blessed through our pleasing God with our talents, then life becomes even more beautiful and important to us. God wants us to be happy. If we are happy with ourselves, the God is pleased.

Sometimes we don’t know ourselves when we are happy. We learn to seek happiness through God’s plan for our lives. When we find our purpose in life through using all the gifts God has given us, that is, to help others, then we find true happiness. We find God.

God said through Jesus, “Love one another as I have loved you.” He gave up His Son’s life for you to gain eternal life, so we can enjoy each other. By pleasing Him, you will please yourself, and we shall spend eternity together.