你將熱情放在哪裡？

世界描述生活的方式就是－我們若是想要得到滿足和釋放就要追求某些事情。廣告總是告訴你: 有了某樣東西，你的生活可以更加有意義和令人興奮!但我對這樣的說法背後的動機感到疑惑，因為媒體裡總是充斥著對快樂滿足生活方式的錯誤訊息。

我對自己的工作充滿熱情。但是，如果你是用賺多少錢來衡量自己多成功，你就錯了! 神對我們賺多少錢、有多少財富不感興趣。祂比較關心你是否順服祂、你的工作是否能幫助其他人?十年之後，我終於搞清楚為什麼神呼召我到人壽保險的專業裡。雅各書1章27節的經文大大影響我二十多年的歲月:「 在上帝我們的父面前，那清潔沒有玷污的虔誠，就是看顧在患難中的孤兒寡婦，並且保守自己不沾染世俗。」對我來說，這節經文最重要的是第二部分:我們不能讓這個世界污染的我們的心思意念和行為，我們要專注在清潔的心以及討神喜悅的事上。

我們需要持守對婚姻以及兒女的忠誠。我與太太以和女兒的關係是世界上最重要的事情，我把她們的福祉放自己的前面。但是我承認之前的我不是這樣，把家庭的優先順序放在工作之前是最近的事情。

一九九二年我得了雙肺炎(註1)躺在醫院的病床上。這件事讓我重新調整自己的生活優先次序:把家人擺第一。在這之前，我是個標準的工作狂。已經習慣將工作擺第一位的我，必須努力地監控自己不走回頭路，我必須對自己的家庭關係有很大的熱情才能持續的自我檢視，得到工作和家庭之間的平衡。

我們的生活有很多不同的領域，但是做這些活動不是我們所熱衷的生活重心。參加運動比賽如高爾夫球、網球、衝浪、騎腳踏車、摩托車都需要花很多時間，每天花很多時間看電視和電腦也是如此，有時甚至會上癮。有些人發現必須要節制這些活動才不會讓生活品質越來越差。也許這說的不是你，但是我們都必須要小心不要被這些活動控住。

耶穌的愛讓祂走向骷髏地的十字架，我希望我們都能更專注愛耶穌，如同約翰福音3章16節所說的：「上帝愛世人，甚至將他的獨生子賜給 他們，叫一切信他的，不致滅亡，反得永生。」

2015年，版權所有 Jim Langley自1983就是紐約人壽的特約保險員，自1987起也是活躍於美國聖塔巴巴拉市CBMC的會員。

That is the way much of the world portrays life, why advertising counsels us that hope for fulfillment and release should be found in the things we can purchase. Many commercials say, "Your life can be much more meaningful and exciting!" I question the truth and motive of such statements. The media are filled with misleading promises about products and lifestyles that appear to lead to self-gratification and happiness. We would be wise to not become passionate about their promises or buy into the lifestyles they cunningly endorse.

As I am, you may feel very passionate about your work. However, if you find yourself measuring your success in how much you earn financially, your focus is misplaced. God is not the least bit impressed by how much we earn or how much we accumulate. He is much more concerned about our obedience to Him and how our work might benefit others. After 10 years, I finally figured out why God called me into the life insurance profession. Some special words in James 1:27 have impacted me over these past two decades: "Religion that God the Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." The second part of that verse is what I consider most important – we cannot allow the world to pollute our thoughts and actions. We must stay focused on what is pure and pleasing to God, our heavenly Father.

Obviously, we need to remain faithful to our spouse and our children. My relationships with my wife and daughter are the most important on this earth. I place their well-being before my own. Being there for my family comes before my work commitments these days, but admittedly that was not always the case.

Spending four days flat on my back in a hospital bed in 1992 helped me put my priorities in order. Before that case of double pneumonia, I was a typical "Type A" workaholic. The tendency is still there, so these days I must continually watch for signs of slipping back into my old ways. We need to remain passionate about our family relationships. Balance demands accountability and continual self-assessment.

We all need some diversions in life, but should not let such activities become our passion. Sporting activities like golf, tennis, surfing, skiing, bicycling, motorsports and others can all become consuming. Even spending hour after hour in front of the TV or computer can become addictive, dominating our waking hours. Some people find it necessary to totally abstain from a given activity lest it become their downfall. That might not be the case with you, but we must exert caution not to fall under its control.

Jesus Christ had a passion that took Him to the cross on Calvary. I suggest we need to focus on Him and become more passionate about His love for us, which is described in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to die for us…." From this day forward, it would be wise to place your passion where it belongs – on our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

© 2015, all rights reserved. Jim Langley has been an agent and chartered life underwriter (CLU) with New York Life since 1983 and an active member of CBMC of Santa Barbara, California, U.S.A. since 1987.