Our days are numbered. We don't know the number - there might be 1 day left or 25,000 days left - but there are only so many left. Have you ever thought about what you are going to leave behind?
I've been thinking about this idea a lot lately. I want to be the kind of person who uses her time wisely, rooted on the understanding that time is a limited resource.
At the end of the day, I don't want people to remember my name. Everything that's mine will eventually disappear, no matter how hard I try to preserve it.
Don't get me wrong - I like being praised. There is nothing I like more than being told "great job," or "you're pretty good at that!" I am fueled by the words that others say about me. The problem is, after a series of these, I begin to believe that I create success by myself. We, with my name being at the very top of the list, are proud.
Everything we try to hold onto so desperately is going to disappear. It's a fact. Someday, we will die and there is nothing we can do to stop it.
This can be a discouraging thought - something I have been sad about for years. It's hard to know that I'm constantly going to be learning, growing, chasing after something - and I will never "arrive." No matter how hard I try, the things that seem so important to me today will eventually be gone. There is no final destination - not here on Earth.
Recently, I'm discovering that God intentionally set it up that way. This was not meant to discourage us, but instead teach us to depend on him. If we could create something lasting, something eternal on our own, we would. But.... God so desires to get our attention and tell us that he wants a relationship with us, and so he humbles us. He shows us over and over again that we cannot do it on our own. We have a desperate need for a savior - and that's exactly what he is.
So what is life really about, if it's not about collecting money or achieving a particular status? What is my life for if it's not really about me?
It's about others.
I want to be an arrow. Arrows are designed to point towards something. I want my life - my words, my behaviors, my talent, the way I spend my time and money, even my career - I want all of it to point towards Jesus. I want others to look at Jesus.
That's what will last. Eventually, there will be a point after I die where no one remembers me. But if I can point one, just one, person to Jesus, if I can help them discover who God is and how much he truly loves them, then my life has significance beyond myself.
That's the kind of legacy I want to leave. It doesn't matter where I work or who I marry or where I live - I want my life to point towards Jesus.
If you're a Christian, I think it's our responsibility to link arms and point. We have one shot at this tiny sliver of time.
If you're not a Christian, that's okay. We aren't trying to force you to do some weird ritual or eat certain foods or even join a Bible study. We just hope that when you meet one of us, you'll catch a glimpse of how Jesus, the one who loves you even if you never take a glance at him, feels about you.
In the midst of a crazy busy season - one where I spend more time in my car than in my house and eating is an afterthought - I want the main thing in my life to stay the main thing. I want to remember to be an arrow.
I've been thinking about this idea a lot lately. I want to be the kind of person who uses her time wisely, rooted on the understanding that time is a limited resource.
At the end of the day, I don't want people to remember my name. Everything that's mine will eventually disappear, no matter how hard I try to preserve it.
Don't get me wrong - I like being praised. There is nothing I like more than being told "great job," or "you're pretty good at that!" I am fueled by the words that others say about me. The problem is, after a series of these, I begin to believe that I create success by myself. We, with my name being at the very top of the list, are proud.
Everything we try to hold onto so desperately is going to disappear. It's a fact. Someday, we will die and there is nothing we can do to stop it.
This can be a discouraging thought - something I have been sad about for years. It's hard to know that I'm constantly going to be learning, growing, chasing after something - and I will never "arrive." No matter how hard I try, the things that seem so important to me today will eventually be gone. There is no final destination - not here on Earth.
Recently, I'm discovering that God intentionally set it up that way. This was not meant to discourage us, but instead teach us to depend on him. If we could create something lasting, something eternal on our own, we would. But.... God so desires to get our attention and tell us that he wants a relationship with us, and so he humbles us. He shows us over and over again that we cannot do it on our own. We have a desperate need for a savior - and that's exactly what he is.
So what is life really about, if it's not about collecting money or achieving a particular status? What is my life for if it's not really about me?
It's about others.
I want to be an arrow. Arrows are designed to point towards something. I want my life - my words, my behaviors, my talent, the way I spend my time and money, even my career - I want all of it to point towards Jesus. I want others to look at Jesus.
That's what will last. Eventually, there will be a point after I die where no one remembers me. But if I can point one, just one, person to Jesus, if I can help them discover who God is and how much he truly loves them, then my life has significance beyond myself.
That's the kind of legacy I want to leave. It doesn't matter where I work or who I marry or where I live - I want my life to point towards Jesus.
If you're a Christian, I think it's our responsibility to link arms and point. We have one shot at this tiny sliver of time.
If you're not a Christian, that's okay. We aren't trying to force you to do some weird ritual or eat certain foods or even join a Bible study. We just hope that when you meet one of us, you'll catch a glimpse of how Jesus, the one who loves you even if you never take a glance at him, feels about you.
In the midst of a crazy busy season - one where I spend more time in my car than in my house and eating is an afterthought - I want the main thing in my life to stay the main thing. I want to remember to be an arrow.