Are you living a life that matters or are you just getting by every day with whatever the world brings to your doorstep?

It is easier than you think to go through the motions, even as a minister. You know God planned our life to be an adventure and a preparation for eternity. It is a time where we can live as He intended. Living in blessing and kingdom power changing our world rather than allowing the world to dictate our future.

Faced with these considerations I am sure many people would like to put life on hold, get sorted and then get back with the program. Unfortunately we do not have that luxury. Life goes on. However we can step aside, reassess and refocus our life.

A pastor friend of mine told me that sometime ago he ministered for a few weeks in his church exactly on these lines, encouraging people to let go and begin to live a life that mattered as God intended. He said that an elderly couple in the church heard the message and then went to go home. However under a deep conviction they just sat in their vehicle rooted, turned to each other and said “Oh my God what have we done” They realised for the first time how much of their life had been wasted in just looking after the immediacy of things rather than live from an eternal perspective.

So taking that time I am reminded of Psalm 139:13-18.
He fashioned the days for us. He made us expertly for a purpose and His thoughts toward us are always precious. So we should stop feeling nothing can change and begin to make plans to come into line the way God sees us.

We can live a life less ordinary for God. That will mean that how we live it, our friends and what we do will be very different to how the world normally does things. What is normal for us should appear radical and supernatural to the world because we are viewing the world from a kingdom standpoint. We are viewing the world with eternity in mind. We are determined to bring kingdom on earth and to be sure of eternity with a heart cry of bringing as many as we can with us.

Matthew 24:37-42 is a stark reminder for us of the days we are in. It uses the example of what happened while Noah was building the ark. For maybe a hundred years as it was going up people carried on as if there was nothing wrong even though their eternity was doomed. Many probably ridiculed Noah and nobody turned and helped him. Despite all that Noah did not give up because he was seeing the situation from God’s perspective.

The word says that it will be the same when Jesus returns. It will seem to some like we have all the time in the world but there will come a day that will be a “suddenly” for many. If you decide right now that regardless of what any one else does you will live a life that matters for God then life will not appear as a suddenly for you.

So John 12:25-26 is a good challenge for us. We have to persevere and daily follow Jesus, living His life in us not our own. We can do that. Grasp a hold of God’s grace on your life right now. We have this time on earth to do it. Don’t let your past hold up your future any longer. Find the purpose for which God placed you on the planet and run to fulfil it with all you have. Jesus did just that and he could not be dissuaded from completing it.

Remember this as you consider the possibilities for next year. God thinks highly of you. He chose you to be on this earth at this time because He knows you have what it takes to run for Him in a period of history when it is getting darker and more difficult out there.
So think deep. How are you going to finish this year and live next year? Will you determine in your heart to live a life that matters? Will you prepare your heart now for next year and then start it with an expectation that you will do great things for Him? If you choose to take that path you will walk in blessing. You will advance the kingdom of God with power. You will do exploits for Him

You will in short live a life that matters.

Have a peaceful and joyful Christmas.