What affects your world?
Recently Kobe Bryant, a notable athlete, and his daughter Gianna tragically passed away in a helicopter crash.
On Facebook, a friend posted that they were chagrined that a national morning news program highlighted Bryant’s life as “touching the world”.
I replied that this person didn’t touch my world, but it was sad nonetheless, especially because his child was lost also. Facebook friends responded that Bryant had impact and was highly regarded even outside this country. One person stated Bryant did affect or influence “the world” but we could differ on to what degree. I thought both made good points.
However, I stand by the fact that it, though sad, their deaths had no effect, influence or heartache on myself and my social circle, as opposed to a loved one passing away.
Yet this brings up an interesting dialogue: What or who affects or influences your world, your life, past, present and future? Why are celebrities given undue credibility on issues they are not trained in or have no working experience with? Yet popular culture brings with it an influence unimaginable in years past.
At one time, entertainers were called, “court jesters.” Just saying.
But what has affected your life? An education or lack thereof? Taking advantage of a wealth that others didn’t have? Growing up in an underprivileged or prosperous setting? Has the environmental movement affected your world? How about the “Me Too” cause? Perhaps you’re motivated by political maneuverings? Do sports, news, entertainment or dining out fixate your attention?
What affects your world? Grandkids, social media, fashion, climbing the status ladder of success? Multiple things can affect your world, but what are the top things? Family? Faith? Friends?
It’s true you should control the things you can and roll with the things you can’t. We can’t control whatever disabilities we’re born with, the body type we inherit by genetics, the income or neighborhood we are raised in or the type of parenting we had.
We couldn’t control the type of schooling we had, a wounding childhood or traumatizing encounters that victimized us as youth.
But what can we control? As adults we can control much of our lives, especially as it concerns choices, effort and influences that affect our world. I can control much of my health by eating better nutritionally, getting more exercise, trying to get proper amounts of sleep and dealing with stress in a positive way.
I can control my economics by trying to get an education or training in an occupation that will give me material benefit, not taking on exorbitant debt by exercising self-restraint in spending habits, living on a budget, saving for my future and being a good employee.
I can control past relational offenses by seeking godly counsel, praying, practicing forgiveness, purposefully deciding to move on in life and limiting toxic people and their injurious behavior. I can commit to be a better child, sibling, parent, friend and neighbor each day.
How many of us have faith affecting our lives? I don’t mean the cultural kind of faith surrounding Christmas, Easter, marriages and such, but a personal faith in Jesus Christ. To where spiritual meaning isn’t a pathway of consciousness, but a relationship with him as a person, as God?
What truth(s) about God, Christianity, salvation and faith affect you? What Scriptural truths are shaping you as a person? How about loyalty in John 13:34B “Love one another as I have loved you”? Or peace like “Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” Romans 4:8 NIV, or gratitude in Romans 5:8 NIV “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Or hope in Philippians 3:20-21 NIV, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
Does this affect your world?
Blessings.