All of us have various interests. Some of you are into achieving a certain number of steps for your Fitbit. Others are focusing on achieving better grades during the summer semester. Everyone is thinking about what they should be doing now to best benefit their lives for the present time. Sometimes we need reminders to keep us on track. Often, I will set a reminder on my iPhone to tell me when I need to make an appointment or speak to someone or even leave to go to church. It helps me stay focused on what is really important. The Bible works similarly to keep our lives on track with what is of eternal significance.
We often need to reminded that this life is not all that we have to live for. It is good for us to achieve things like fitness goals or academic excellence. Both those and many other things are valuable to our lives, but the reality we have to face is that you are going to die someday and someone else will get your stuff. It’s not a pleasant reality, but it’s the only one there is. Since this is so, what really matters in life? The Lord gives us a reminder in Jeremiah when He says
The knowledge of God, as in a relationship, is eternal life (Jn. 17:3). In all our endeavors, we must keep in mind that whatever we set out to achieve must be with a heavenly mindset. That means I am the best cook I can be because I want my life to demonstrate that I value excellence as the Lord values what is excellent. It is not so I can get the glory as the best cook in the business, but because I want to honor my King with the work of my hands, just as Paul instructs us to do (Col. 3:17, 23). The whole idea of the Christian life is to make Christ look as glorious and satisfying as He really is so He is magnified in our lives and others are drawn to Him. To have this understanding that Jesus is the only source of true satisfaction in life makes Him look really good, and it gives us the joy we long for. Nothing in this life will ever satisfy the desire of your soul apart from Jesus. Look to the Bible to direct you to what is eternally significant, and pray that the Lord will grant you the heartfelt desire of Isaiah 26:8, “Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts” (NIV).