Goose Chase

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It keeps you from wild goose chases.  Have you ever been on one?   The greatest need in a wild goose chase, is how quickly you realize you’re on it.   Have you ever heard famous people being asked, “What are the five best books you’ve ever read, or that have influenced your life the most?  Everyone wants to read the favorite books of the rich and famous, the Warren Buffets, or Bill Gates.  But have you ever asked someone what is the worst book you’ve ever read?  It’s part of my top five that have influenced me the most.  Four are good books, one isn’t.  It just took me a long time to realize it.  Just because a book has great influence, doesn’t mean you are wise to put yourself under the influence of it.  There are some great books that you shouldn’t read, not worth it.  Machiavelli, famous author, probably not worth the read.  Not that there’s no truth to them, but it’s incomplete, misdirection, that could send you in the wrong direction.  Part truth, incomplete truth can be as or more dangerous than no truth.  With no truth, at least you know it, it’s just mindless entertainment (which in itself should give you pause).  But part truth, you think you’re onto something that could help you, when you’re really on to something else – that won’t.   There is a classic that has sold a lot of copies… Very influential, in fact a classic.  I try never to say anything bad about anything or anybody.  But that is a book for me, that I do not recommend.  Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.   Many have read it.  Why read that?  Because you want to get rich, that’s why I did.  That’s why people read it.  That’s why millions of books have been sold on that topic – I would imagine more books have been sold on how to make money or get rich – than any other category of books, period.  Except perhaps love stories.  Money or Love – it seems to be what people want most, but you can’t want both ‘the most’ and get both. You can want some and get some, but you can’t want both the most, and get both.  Those who want to get rich have probably read that book.  Anything you read – always use your New Information Filter.  But be careful, some books are not worth reading, they’re better left unread, better left to others… Just like some movies…  In this book the author cunningly weaves a theme through the book.  It was the ‘secret’ of the book that he never stated plainly.  He even specifically told you that he wasn’t going to tell you, that you had to keep reading til you ‘get it.’ And in the first few pages or chapters if you didn’t get it yet, you started to feel a little inferior to all those who ‘got it already.  Like maybe you might never ‘get it’ and therefore never get rich… So you kept reading - trusting the promise, in the hope that if you keep reading, you’ll get it.  It reminded me of a birthday party I attended in high school.  The host had planned some group games…  For one, they put the group of attendees in a circle with a heavy marble object about the size of a drink coaster, placed in the center of the circle on the floor, with a round hole in the bottom of it.   The game was called “Hug the candle stick holder.” – but “you can’t pick it up.”  It was amazing, quite hilarious, how long it took some guys (that they picked to leave the room) to figure out the game.  As they proceeded to twist their body into impossible contortions, amid the growing laughter – trying to get their arms around this candle stick holder on the floor without picking it up… Until they finally noticed the pretty girl in the circle holding a candle.  Was it me?  Not sayin’…  but I hate books like that.  This book was perhaps the worst I’ve ever read, maybe because of the influence it had on me.  The problem wasn’t figuring out the secret, I did do that… it was the wild goose chase it took me on for years.  It’s effect on the forming of my ‘model.’ And therefore it’s skewing of how I saw things.  The secret to getting rich according to that book…  “What you want… if you want it more than anything else, if you are willing to do whatever it takes to get it, No Matter What – you will get it – if you want it bad enough.  That’s quite a secret.  The problem wasn’t whether that was true or not, the problem wasn’t in the secret they told you, but in the secret they didn’t.  That may be true, but another secret is even more true.  It won’t make you happy.  It costs more than you want to pay.  It’s a wild goose chase.  The next secret they didn’t tell you was just cause you get it doesn’t mean you can keep it.  Just cause you get rich doesn’t mean you’ll stay rich.  Some men have lived their lives by that book… they forfeited their marriage, their children, their happiness, their chance for a good life, rather than just the appearance of one.  They didn’t smell any roses along the way, nor understand what was really important in life, and it wasn’t that…  Only to find years later, that their ladder was on the wrong building.   They should have just read the Best Book of All Time, that tells you “Be careful what you hope for, what you ask for, what you work for, what you dedicate your life to...  If you want something more than anything else.  Is that the thing you should want more… than anything else?  God said those who love money, never have money enough. (That’s a secret best learned early in life, not late).  God said Those eager to get rich do not know that poverty awaits them. (Oops)  And worse than that, “those eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” (Ouch)  God said, “You will either love God or money – you can’t love both.  God said, Seek me first, my kingdom and my righteousness, (Get my plans and do them! Learn to think like I think) and all these things will be added unto you. (I’ll give them to you). That book, just like the devil – he punks people.  Have you ever been punked?  Are you right now?  In some things you believe to be true, or worth it, but aren’t.   What people spend their lives and sacrifice their lives to try and get but never get, or never keep, God would have given it to them.  Wealth that will last forever.  Love God and you’ll get everything you need.  Love money and you’ll lose everything, even money will escape you, or the pleasure you thought it would bring.  What good is money if you can’t enjoy it, and what good is enjoying it, if like the rich fool, this very night your life will be required of you.  Then who will get all that you have stored up for yourself.  Always use your New Information Filter.  Is it True? Where’s the Evidence? What’s In It For Them? and most importantly, What does God say?  If it doesn’t lead to Him, you don’t need your New Information Filter.  Some information isn’t worth filtering, you’d be better off avoiding it altogether.  Praying that You will seek wisdom above all else, true wisdom that comes from God alone, not the things that everyone else seeks after.  That you will seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, so that all these things will be added unto you.  So God can give you – more than you could ask or imagine, because he changes your imagination.  That’s what His Word will do.  It will tell you what to ask or imagine, that’s worth more than gold, so He can give it to you and more!
 
Love you all,
dad