What do you value? What is important to you? Many Christians, when asked this question, usually respond with noble answers like "family" or "God" or "peace". Yet, many of the pursuits in life reflect values that are completely different.

Most every Christian I work with will state that they want to have more money. Why? Is it not sufficient that you are wealthier than perhaps 99% of the rest of the world, and (if you consider world history) that you are perhaps wealthier than 99.9% of all the people that have ever lived?

The desire for more money is often a reflection that one's values and money are not aligned. At it's core, most people value money because they view that this will help them determine and control their destiny, providing them with things like happiness, contentment and security.

But, this is a dream. Money does not provide that, only the "promise of more money" ... for once you receive that money, it wears off and then "more money" will promise to provide what you want. Is it any wonder the Scriptures note that you cannot want God and money at the same time -- that's two different value systems.

Stephen Covey made a name for himself in the self-help and business world when he wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, now a classic for those who aspire to succeed in business and management. In this book, he identified key traits (habits) that he believed were necessary for a person to regularly practice in order to successfully move toward a large vision and overcome any barriers they encounter.

Christians also have a large vision they are pursuing. But unlike the business world in which just the business leaders might need 7 habits to be successful, there are some key habits (traits) that every Christian needs to hold in order to be spiritually successful ... traits that advance the agenda of God.

What are these habits that are present in those who demonstrate a high degree of Christian success? You are likely aware of them, but perhaps it is now time to get serious about incorporating them into your life ...

Have you ever wondered why a dozen new diet plans get introduced every year? If the prior year's plans worked, then why are they being replaced? Yet, book after book, and year after year, overweight Americans keep trying the latest potion. Perhaps the books are less interested in providing a solution than they are in selling a marketable fad.

The Christian marketplace has its own share of fad diet & self-help materials - some might have some good advice but others contain some very poor messages such as "Fat People Are Going To Hell". The Bible does have a direction about our relationship to food, and this message goes through some scripture to help us understand this direction and evaluate whether or not we have a problem.

What we allow to enter our minds, what we meditate upon, and what we pray about is important. Whatever surrounds us will influence us, and a Christian in the world needs to realize that our mind becomes a battleground between the harmful influences of an unholy world and the righteous will of a holy God. This message alerts us to the importance of focusing our mind on the things of God, and protecting ourselves from the influences of a corrupt world.

Rhonda Byrne has recently promoted a book entitled The Secret in which she claims that thinking and meditating on anything you want will bring about its reality. She would claim that if one wants to be rich, then thinking and meditating about wealth will make one wealthy; or, if one wants a beauty queen for a spouse, then merely thinking and meditating about beauty queens will make it a reality.

Her message is ages old, it is part of what we call New Thought or New Age, and it is in conflict with how God tells us that things are brought into our life. You might be surprised to hear of the origins of The Secret and how it is connected to multiple cults.

The message of Scripture is that when our starting point for desire is our own thoughts, these are often contrary to God. But, when our starting point is God (that is, His will), then we receive what is best for us.

Self-esteem problems harms ones ability to accomplish things. If one has a deflated self esteem, then they are unmotivated to even try ... if one has an inflated self esteem, then they have difficulty finishing things because they are so prideful, arrogant, and narcissistic that they imagine that things should just "happen" because of their magnificence.

Both extremes reflect a condition where a person has lost their identity in Christ. Having a proper understanding of worth and ability is an essential issue that God seeks to correct with His children ... when this happens, self-esteem problems are overcome.

The self-help industry in America (books, seminars, life coaches, etc) is an 11 billion dollar a year industry and growing rapidly. Now, as far as markets go, it isn't that large and it doesn't drain the pocketbooks of American families (that works out to about $110 per family per year). However, the self-help market is a direct competitor to the gospel, and it is impacting the way that spiritually sensitive Americans are approaching Christianity.

You see, we are not self-repairing, self empowered creations that can do anything, for we are heavily dependent upon God and we need help from him.

What is the power of our lives? How are we ultimately victorious?

Powers that come from fame, fortune, and prestige have only fleeting victory. If our life is not nurtured by Jesus Christ and His name, then defeat is the only result. But, if we have His power and His anointing then we will experience a true way of living and (in the end) experience success in these battles we face!

Can times of hardship be times when our perception of God fails?

The message of the Road to Emmaus is one in which Jesus Christ is perceived to have failed at his mission to become the emancipator of Israel from the tyranny of Rome. The miracle that had been hoped for was gone ... and even the stories of resurrection seemed fanciful and unbelievable. I guess that is what happens when our dreams fail. We become cynical and don't want to hope for anything grand and wonderful any longer. Life, perhaps is just a drudgery.

But, on the Road to Emmaus, two travelers discover that their understanding of God was wrong, and with just a little coaching and proper understanding, they abandon their prior hope and adopt a new one ... suddenly it all comes together, and a new vision for God's work is real and effective. Jesus was there all along, but we never recognized him!

A Christian community is a community that generously responds to the needs of others. The problem is that in our perfection & service-oriented society, there is complaining about most everything - and in reality, most complaining (and many prayer requests) do not reflect a real need but just a desired upgrade of an already wealthy lifestyle.

So, how does a Christian's generous heart know where to respond, and how does one know if something is a genuine need?