Working on Your Soul

P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331
Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418
E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Working on Your Soul
One of the most popular TV sitcoms of the past decade would have to be "Everybody Loves Raymond." It was built around the comedic work of Ray Romano. A former stand-up comic who became one of the most successful and highly paid personalities in his lucrative industry. When the final episode of the show was completed in May 2005, Romano walked out on the set and spoke to the studio audience. He told them about a note his brother had stuck in his luggage when he moved from New York to Hollywood nine years before. "My older brother Richard wrote, 'What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?'" said a tearful Romano. "Now I'm going to work on my soul." -- I hope it is going well for him. Well, by the standards most of us use, anybody that popular and rich has everything anybody could want. But it isn't just a tired old cliché which states that money can't buy happiness. There really is more to life than fame and fortune. Paying attention to your soul means, above everything else, having a relationship with your Creator. You are not on this planet as a result of blind chance and purposeless fate. You were created in the image of God and destined to bear His image. He has dreams for you that He wants to come true. They are less about your clothes, car, and bank account than your sense of joy, peace, and fulfillment in your once-around experience called life. When Scripture speaks of seeking and doing the will of God, it is not offering us religious coercion or guilt-ridden consciences. It is envisioning a life in which we connect our brief little personal experiences with God's eternal dream of men and women living together in a community of respect and goodwill. And the one perfect example of what that sort of life looks like is found in Jesus of Nazareth. So paying attention to our souls means being a radical in your culture. You don't exploit or use people; you treat them as you would like to be treated. You don't live to accumulate and consume; you live to share and help others with what you have. You don't find worth by bullying or turning heads; your worth is in making things better for others. Friend, it is so easy to get distracted by the daily grind. In fact, it is success, even more than failure that can make us miss the point of being alive. So how are things coming along for you in the work you need to do on your soul? I believe the comedian, Ray Romano, has reminded us of something quite serious. However, I know, from the many letters I receive, that a lot of people desperately want to make contact with God in order to strengthen their spiritual life . . . but they can't seem to find Him. If that's how you're feeling, I think I can help. I certainly want to. So I invite you to write to me for FREE copies of two small booklets titled "How to find God" and "Who is this Jesus?" Just address your request to P.O. Box 1540, Albany, WA 6331. If you prefer, you may Phone/Fax us on: (08) 9841 8418. Email: abl-alb@omninet.net.au Have a great day! And I look forward to sharing more thoughts with you next week.

One of the most popular TV sitcoms of the past decade would have to be "Everybody Loves Raymond." It was built around the comedic work of Ray Romano. A former stand-up comic who became one of the most successful and highly paid personalities in his lucrative industry.

When the final episode of the show was completed in May 2005, Romano walked out on the set and spoke to the studio audience. He told them about a note his brother had stuck in his luggage when he moved from New York to Hollywood nine years before. "My older brother Richard wrote, 'What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?'" said a tearful Romano. "Now I'm going to work on my soul." -- I hope it is going well for him.

Well, by the standards most of us use, anybody that popular and rich has everything anybody could want. But it isn't just a tired old cliché which states that money can't buy happiness. There really is more to life than fame and fortune.

Paying attention to your soul means, above everything else, having a relationship with your Creator. You are not on this planet as a result of blind chance and purposeless fate. You were created in the image of God and destined to bear His image. He has dreams for you that He wants to come true. They are less about your clothes, car, and bank account than your sense of joy, peace, and fulfillment in your once-around experience called life.

When Scripture speaks of seeking and doing the will of God, it is not offering us religious coercion or guilt-ridden consciences. It is envisioning a life in which we connect our brief little personal experiences with God's eternal dream of men and women living together in a community of respect and goodwill. And the one perfect example of what that sort of life looks like is found in Jesus of Nazareth.

So paying attention to our souls means being a radical in your culture. You don't exploit or use people; you treat them as you would like to be treated. You don't live to accumulate and consume; you live to share and help others with what you have. You don't find worth by bullying or turning heads; your worth is in making things better for others.

Friend, it is so easy to get distracted by the daily grind. In fact, it is success, even more than failure that can make us miss the point of being alive. So how are things coming along for you in the work you need to do on your soul?

I believe the comedian, Ray Romano, has reminded us of something quite serious. However, I know, from the many letters I receive, that a lot of people desperately want to make contact with God in order to strengthen their spiritual life . . . but they can't seem to find Him. If that's how you're feeling, I think I can help. I certainly want to. So I invite you to write to me for FREE copies of two small booklets titled "How to find God" and "Who is this Jesus?" Just address your request to P.O. Box 1540, Albany, WA 6331. If you prefer, you may Phone/Fax us on: (08) 9841 8418. Email: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Have a great day! And I look forward to sharing more thoughts with you next week.