What do you want?

In my new house I have a very nice library that contains several hundred books. One of my favorites is “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, but this book is conspicuously missing from my library. That is because I am constantly giving copies of it away to employees and friends whom I think might benefit from it. I have read it numerous times, but still enjoy reading it occasionally and in fact it appears as though it is once again time to order another copy or two.

The main premise of the book is that we as a society are too self centered and if we can bring ourselves to take our eyes off our own desires and problems and instead focus on others we can succeed famously. Dale Carnegie died long ago but his inspiring message lives on and so do his book and training material sales.

Jesus was once asked, What is the greatest commandment? His response was: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Hmmm. In my mind Dale Carnegie merely expanded and expounded upon this Scripture. Too often I’m discouraged because it is routinely the case that the people I meet want something from me aside from just friendship. Usually it is money. I NEVER speak to a group that someone from the audience does not come up to me afterwards with a request for a donation to some cause or other. At least they have a worthy cause apart from themselves, too often others shove a business card in my hand and “instruct” me to call them the next time I need XYZ. It seems they are only interested in their own agenda and I am seen merely as someone to facilitate it.

This morning I awoke with a terrible blinding headache. Usually the first thing I do is let my little dog Cooper out of his house. He is always overjoyed to see me, (yes even at two or three in the morning), and his little tail is wagging ninety miles an hour. He loves for me to first give him a backrub and then step outside into the freezing cold with him to let him leisurely smell of every blade of grass in the yard and to examine every leaf and stick. He does his business and then runs back into the house. I then pet him some more, make some coffee, and settle in to study God’s word and write WFTD. More often than not, I am interrupted more than once by his persistence in demanding that I rub his ears and back.

It is a ritual that we perform every morning together and we are great friends, but this morning my head hurt so badly, I just went over and sat at my desk and held my head between my hands. My little dog Coopie came over and started licking me and wagging his tail.

I was thinking that this little dog really loves me with an unconditional love. He doesn’t care whether I have fifty cents or $50 billion dollars. He doesn’t want to write insurance for me or one of my companies, sell me materials, donate to his cause, or hire him; he just wants to be friends.

I wonder if that is how Jesus feels sometimes. He hears prayers asking for this and that, and oh by the way could you give me this too But how often does He hear, God I don’t really want anything, I just wanted to come to You today to say that it is my greatest pleasure just having You in my life as my God and Friend.

Too often we only approach God when we want something and usually it is when we are in a jam.

I believe God wants our unconditional love and that is what He freely gives us. Many folks are turned off to organized religion because they are always asking for money. If we will stop and logically think about it for a moment, we should have no problem understanding that God doesn’t need our money. He owns all of creation. That garbage isn’t coming from God, it is often coming from the televangelists who are trotting the globe in their sleek private jets and are probably far from serving God and instead are serving their own egos and lusts.

That is not to say that there is not a need for giving in order to perform God’s work. Nothing is free in life and we should want to assist in financing the dissemination of the word of God, help the poor, and sick among us. The Bible tells us that God loves a cheerful giver and that we should give because we love Him and want to give back a portion of what He has generously given us.

God created us with a free will in order that we would CHOOSE to love Him and not the world and all that is in it. I think He is happiest when people come to Him like my little pup Coopie; with no agenda other than love and a desire for fellowship. And close behind is when we love others as ourselves and treat people accordingly

1 Tim 6:17
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life

Grace be with you all.