You can invest in people's lives

photo by b unit

Pastor Bob's message realigned my focus. The message was about finishing well in life. His first point challenged me to rethink how my life is proceeding.

He shared four principles for living life in a great way:

Learn to invest your life in others

1. Live with the end in mind


2. Let God have your best effort


3. Look for the reward

I applied these principles to my life in the following ways:

• I need to invest in my relationship--with God, with my family, and with others (both within the church and those without)



• I can live with the end in mind by rehearsing my values each day.



• I will give my best effort by using the Enemy's (Satan) remarks, lies, threates as motivation to be fully-devoted)



• I will desire the greatest reward--the crown of righteousness by taking the "medals" of my life and removing them as the most significant things and placing the Lord over all.

The primary adjustment that the Lord impressed on my mind is asking myself the hard question, "How do you sacrifice your life for others?" I need to make a conscious effort to put others before myself. I am selfish.

Barack Obama told Pastor Rick Warren that the greatest moral failure in his life is selfishness (transcript here). Although not a theologian, Obama's reply addresses what the Bible says in Philippians 2:21, "For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus." Or consider earlier in the book of Phillipians (2:3-4), "Do nothing from selifishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

I am not an Obama supporter. I am a Bible proclaimer.

The Holy Spirit convicts me as I engage the biblical data. Pastor Bob's message targeted my selfishness. I can readjust. It's not about feeling guilty or admitting guilt. It's about adjusting the attitudes and actions of my life to follow God's principles. It's easy to feel guilty. It's hard for some of us to move on and to realign ourselves to what God prompts in us.

I praise God that I can make adjustments. With God's help, I can move towards investing in others more. I can start right now. I can delay and beat myself up. But I'd rather engage and renew my commitment to follow God completely and to recalibrate my life to focus on investing in others. I can and I will seek to invest in other people's lives.