life – Page 15 – Mark Joseph Ministries

This is the 5^th of our 14-week free program, where we provide Lesson #5, on false gods and false happiness. Here are some questions to consider:

What is “it” that you think will make you happy?
Does “it” bring you true happiness?
What do you spend most of your time on? Or money on?

Johnny Lee sings a song called, “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places”. I believe most of us are guilty of that…in addition to looking for happiness in all the wrong places. I heard not long ago…we can never get enough of what we really don’t need. Think about that in your life. What are those things that you’re chasing, that you think are going to make you happy?

I’ve identified them as the 4 Ps, prominence, possessions, pleasure, and people. Let’s explore each:

Prominence – if we’re honest, most of us want to stand out, to be noticed. Prominence makes us feel respected and admired, held in high esteem, and most importantly, loved.
Possessions – houses, cars, clothes, gadgets, etc. It doesn’t matter the socioeconomics, we all value “stuff”. One indication of this is the amount of personal debt many people have, living way beyond their means.
Pleasure – is dependent on specific circumstances. Unlike joy, pleasure only takes place in the moment. Once the act creating the pleasure is over, the pleasure is gone. It’s fleeting.
People – whether we realize it or not, many of us turn others into false gods. They can be the rich and famous or those close to us. Neither is healthy and without fail, we will eventually be disappointed and often deeply hurt.

Here’s the truth, all of the above are false gods, bringing us nothing but false happiness. None of them will ever satisfy you on a long-term basis. Each is fleeting.

Have you ever heard the story of the old man in the hospital, lamenting to his family while looking back on his life? He wishes that he had spent far less time at work. The clear inference is that if he had it to do over again, he would have been home much more, with those he loved.

The fact is that the only thing that is going to bring us true happiness is our relationships. We are made for community. We are made for friendship. We are made for authentic relationship. Although family and friends are vital, there’s no more important relationship we can have than with Jesus Christ, the source of all Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment.

Suggested Actions
So, what do we do about it? Here’s what I would suggest:

Think about the following questions. Take them to prayer. We can only understand an issue if we identify it. Ponder (think/pray) the following:
- What are the things that you idolize in your life? What do you spend most of your time and money on?
- Why do you spend your time (and money) this way? Not the surface answer, but truly “why”?
- Do these things bring you true happiness…peace, joy, and fulfillment?
- What do you think is missing in your life?
Whenever you’re doing whatever you’re doing, always ask yourself “why”? Why are you doing them? Is it going to make you happy long-term, or will it be fleeting?
Watch this Friday’s video on this same subject….it will be emailed to you.

Please join us next Wednesday for Week #6 when we talk about Life’s Tragedies. As always, please feel free to get to me with questions, comments, or concerns at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Mark Joseph

Week #1 – Being Overwhelmed
Week #2 – Earning the love of others
Week #3 – Lack of self-love
Week #4 – Fear
Week #5 – False gods, False happiness
Week #6 – Life’s Tragedies
Week #7 – Wounds, Resentments

Week #8 – Discovering God’s Love
Week #9 – Forgiveness and healing
Week #10 – Becoming the best Possible You
Week #11 – Path to Peace
Week #12 – Finding your Purpose
Week #13 – You were made for Greatness
Week #14 – True Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment

Hey *|FNAME|*,

Kobe Bryant was one of the most prolific professional basketball players of all time, winning five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was the 3^rd highest scorer in NBA history until January 25^th, 2020, when LeBron James took his place, moving Kobe to 4^th.

In classy Kobe fashion, he tweeted “continuing to move the game forward @KingJames; much respect my brother”. That tweet would be his last public statement. Kobe and his 13 year-old daughter were killed with several others, in a tragic helicopter crash the next day, on January 26^th.

When I reflect on Kobe’s passing, two things come to mind. First is how we glorify our heroes in this world, whether sports stars, performers, dignitaries, or the rich and otherwise famous. In our culture, they are idolized. They are held on a pedestal, with most being envious of their lives, often believing that they don’t have challenges like us plain folk.

Two points I would make on the above:

Everyone, regardless of fame or fortune, or lack thereof, has challenges in their lives….everyone!!!
We are gifts from God, made in His image and likeness. As such, we are not to look down on anyone. Likewise, we are to look up to no one except Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Number 2 above doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to emulate positive characteristics of others. It does mean that you aren’t to idolize or envy them.

The second thing I think of are the “Big Three” things that Kobe arguably had figured out. They include:

Faith
1. It’s widely known that Kobe was Catholic. That in of itself isn’t a big deal in that many Catholics don’t practice the faith. Kobe did, reportedly attending 7AM Sunday Mass on a regular basis, including the day he and his daughter were killed.
2. It’s also widely known that Kobe made a bad decision in 2003, where he was with a woman other than his wife. Kobe is quoted as saying, “The one thing that really helped me during that process was talking to a Priest”. Kobe indicates that the Priest gave him advice that all of us could use, “Let it go. Move on. God’s not going to give you anything you can’t handle, and it’s in his hands now. This is something you can’t control. So let it go”. Kobe indicated that was the turning point.
Family
1. Even with the above, although they split for a period, Kobe and his wife, Vanessa, reconciled. The couple had 4 beautiful daughters. Reports indicate that Kobe was hugely invested in all of his girls, including his precious wife.
2. So many people step over their families to be with others. Not Kobe. As the reports indicate, he knew his priority. He spent tons of time with them and loved them all dearly.
Purpose
1. In watching interviews and reading several articles, it’s clear that from a very young age, Kobe was an incredibly hard worker. He knew his passion. He pursued his passion vigorously and he was among the very best.
2. One interview indicated that Kobe was keenly aware of the platform that basketball gave him. As such, he was committed to making a difference in retirement. With a concentration on youth, the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation provides scholarships and leadership training, while attacking youth homelessness. They were both actively involved in other charity work as well.

In reading my blogs, you know that I strongly believe that God made each of us with special gifts and talents; gave us all a unique purpose….and that it’s incumbent upon us to discover those things and exercise our greatness. You also know that I believe that first in our lives needs to come our faith and our family. Kobe Bryant got it. He did these things. He’s a great example to all of us, not because he’s an NBA star, but because he loved our God, embraced his purpose, and was a very good husband and father. Kobe and Gianna, Rest in Peace.

How is Kobe an example to you? Feel free to comment on that question or reach out to me with other questions, comments, challenges at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Mark Joseph