Wednesday; June 30

How will we be able to tell if we have won at the game of life? As we participate in this journey, we are so often obsessed by the day-to-day struggle that we rarely look at the scoreboard. We are typically so busy doing this or going there that we don’t really think much about our progress. But, humor me for a minute, how are you doing in your life? Are you winning? If so, how do you know?

Periodically, we need to stop, come up for air and figure out if we are any closer to the finish line than when we started. If we had to respond to an assessment of our condition, it might be tempted to look at things like our health and welfare. Maybe we are on track to be able to financially retire at 65 and, if we are fortunate, live a healthy life well beyond that until we fade off in our “golden years”. Yet, is that the ultimate victory? Is merely dying comfortably at the end of our days enough to be called a winner? I really don’t think that is what it takes to be successful.
At the end of one of Jesus’ parables, He looked into the future and described the assessment of life. In describing a faithful servant Jesus notes, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matthew 25:23). That is the goal for each one of us – to invest our lives in the Lord’s work so that we will hear our Master say, “Well done …”.
How are we investing our lives and talents? Are we merely earning financial interest or are we paying spiritual dividends for what the Lord has invested in us? We are playing a game where the stakes are high. Are we winning?

Think About It!

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