WAKE UP

Can they see the difference in your life?

Death is scary. Most of us don't like to think about it - or talk about it. Yet there is no factor more important in shaping our perspective and our priorities. Nevertheless, most of us go about our business, knowing life is short, but acting as if we will live forever. Every now and then, we get a wake-up call to reality: friends die, family members face death, or we attend the funerals of loved ones.

Let your wake-up call remind you to:

Live each day with eternal purpose. God has certain expectations for your life. We often confuse purpose in life with profession or possessions. Our purpose is to yield fruit that shows our thankfulness, help draw others to Christ, and glorify God. (Read: Ps. 116:12-13, Matt. 5:16 and Phil 1:11)

Invest each day in eternal treasures. When you realize that your life is not your own, your time is not your own, and your possessions are not your own, you have little about which to boast - except Jesus Christ. Therefore, humble yourself before God. Do not store up treasures or hoard your wealth. When you truly begin to comprehend all that Christ has purchased for you, your acquisitions will seem as nothing. The rewards in heaven will far outweigh all the collected wealth of this present world, and be both eternal and imperishable. (1 Cor. 2:9)

Prioritize each day for maximum eternal benefit. Management is the art of getting a job done effectively and efficiently. Leadership is the art of deciding what ought to be done. Some people are so busy managing their lives that they never get around to the issue of personal leadership. You should let your life be driven only by the goals and priorities that will be significant when your life is over.

Seek first God's kingdom. If you do not have clearly defined priorities, you will wind up reacting to the temporal goals and values of others around you. Seek to know Him and to love Him, to serve Him and to worship Him, above and beyond all other pursuits. A popular formula for Christian prioritization is God, family, church, job, others, and recreation.

Living with an eye on eternity will bring your life into proper focus. Eternity is primary. Heaven must be our ultimate goal. The matter of proper perspective is a matter of keeping your sights set on God's kingdom while most everything in the world seeks to distract us and distort our vision.

From Keeping Life In Perspective: Sharpening Your Sense of What's Important by Jim Henry with Marilyn Jeffcoat. Copyright (c) 1996 by Jim Henry. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman, Nashville, Tenn., 1-800-233-1123.

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