The important people...

Anyone who has Austar will have probably by now seen the advertisment for the Australian MTV Awards to be broadcast on MTV at some point in the near future. I dont normally pay attention to ads, in fact I hate em, but this one got my attention. The advertisment says “The important people......the beautiful people......the party people.....“etc… and this got my thinking.... Who is my most important person?

This ad makes me particularly sad that the world lumps the “party people” in with the most important. I know that music artists, actors and creative arts people are very important, and they make a very important contribution to the world...but they also create a terrible influence on the young influential people of this world. I think its awful that the kind of people featured on this advertisement are the kind of people that we deem as “important” and “beautiful”. Perhaps it is time we as Christians began challenging who these people are.

For example, one of the people featured is Paris Hilton....made famous by being in a porn video, or rap artists who advertise themselves with scantily clad women dancing provocatively, or women who flaunt themselves at the camera for fame. These people are “beautiful” if you look at the worlds standards, but is there a better way to classify people?

What about the widowed mother, left alone to fend for her and her children, working three jobs and getting no sleep? Or the honest people who go to work every day and do life in an honorable full of integrity way? Or what about those who work for charities, for not for profit organisations, so they can make someone elses life better? Or what about all those disabled people in this world, who are shunned by society for not “looking” like the rest of us, and yet have God given talents, abilities and wisdom that need to be shared? Who do we emulate? Who do we admire?

God sent a carpenters son.....someone who didnt own ANYTHING but the clothes on his back, to live, die and rise again for us. The world missed it because he didnt LOOK like a saviour. Because He didnt do what they expected him to. I think its frightening to think through all the hype of celebrity in today’s world, through all the idolisation of people who DO NOT deserve it, it is TERRIFYING to think just who we are missing, because the messenger is not what we expect.

I encourage anyone reading this to examine who YOU admire. Who is your beautiful people? Who is your important people? And why??? Do they deserve it, and if so why do they deserve it? Are they people who live for God, who demonstrate biblical values, values that you want to emulate? Its important to take stock sometimes of who we associate with, because these kinds of people will ultimately shape who we are through their influence. We are not islands, we are directly affected by the people we live, work, deal with every single day. These are just a few of my heros, in no particular order, the people I hang out with because i want to be like them.....why not make a list of your own and look at what values they have that you want, and perhaps how to make that happen. Or perhaps there are values that you want that ARENT emulated in the people you know. If that is the case, I encourage you to go out of your way to MEET people who do. God shapes us, but sometimes he uses others to do so!

My Heros

My husband Bradley - who shows me every single day how to live with integrity, faith, forgiveness and honesty and who teaches me constantly the meaning of unconditional Christ like love.

My best friend Ben - who taught me early what a Christian looks like - what it means to be a person who won’t settle for second best, and someone who follows their dreams with determination! and someone who taught me that I was lovable.

My pastors Brian and Amanda - who are the example of a Christian marriage that I want in my own life. They are wise and Godly, and I hope one day I have HALF as much wisdom in my dealings with people!

Sandra and Leon - I have the highest respect for these people, for their wisdom and knowledge, for their life experiences. I cannot express enough how in awe I am of these people, the way they have lived their lives full of integrity and honor. I want to live that way too!

My mate Michelle - who is right now showing me what true friendship really is...I havent seen a lot of that lately, and its important for me to be reminded that I am worthy of good friends and how to BE a good friend. Plus shes a damn good supervisor!

My dog Gizmo - ok this might seem a LITTLE odd to put a DOG in here - but seriously Gizmo is one of my heros. He lives every single day with absolute perfect love for Brad and I. Gizmo shows me how to live a life with absolute joy, with complete contentment, and with a smile from ear to ear! Gizmo doesnt know any differently, but he has never pined for anywhere else but home! I love that he’s content, and I want to live content with my life!

My mum - the ultimate fighter! My mum and I are two peas in a very bruised pod! She has an AMAZING attitude towards life, adn while we dont always agree, we both come from the same, abusive lonely place, and I can call her ANY TIME day or night and she is there for me. ALWAYS. Ive never experienced that before, but Im so grateful for it now. I am learning from her how to be a good parent one day to my kids!