Adding value

So, as my relationship with God continues to grow, I find Him talking with me more and more. Its interesting how God talks to me, and actually He does this with everyone (its just a matter of being quiet enough to listen). For the past three years He has been laying on my heart that I need to add more value for my precious time. So, three years ago I took that to mean in my job. At that time I didn't really know that was coming from God. See, I was raised with the expectation (and taught) that happiness comes from getting a good, well paying job (which in turn ended up being defined to me as a successful job = wealth which = HAPPINESS). About a week ago, I FINALLY translated that into how it defined my every emotion and my happiness, the soul of my being, that all I was living for was to create my own happiness....as I was sitting in yet another mind numbing, no value added (in my definition), waste of my time meeting I started to write out what that all meant to me. I came up with the following:

Good paying job = Wealth
Which then will = Happiness = Success = Respect

Happiness = nice things, comfort, security, nice home, nice car, nice clothes
Success = Good job, Goals reached (worked hard/hard worker)
Respect = People looking up to me as a knowledgeable leader, power, control

Then on the other side of my paper I wrote out what God was trying to define Happiness as:

Happiness = Will come from having a personal relationship with Him and serving Him
Success = Will come from having a personal relationship with Him and serving Him
Respect = Will come from having a personal relationship with Him and serving Him

This was very interesting to me and a total shift in how I and the secular world see's all these things. As I had tried to achieve all of the above as defined by the world I always came up short, thus never being truly happy.....all of those worldly views were attainable achieved for a short period of time and I would be happy for a short period of time, but within those worldly definitions they will always let you down one way or another. For me that was: yeah, I had a great paying job but it always came up short to make me happy. For me I guess I put too much emphasis on how the job defined who I am and my emotions (happiness)....yeah, I was successful, made a lot of money, but it still wasn't making me happy.

So, about a week and a half ago I really started to listen to God and how he defined happiness! I wanted that! Thus, I decided (when work laid me off) that it was time to look at happiness in a different way....happiness does not come from all the material stuff that the world has to offer, because that only lasts a short time. True happiness comes from God and serving Him. I look forward to now adding value where I believe I am adding value and I know God believes I am adding value. I am excited to see where God will lead me. It is liberating! :-)