Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:3-5
Take a moment and think about the most important thing you need to accomplish by the end of your day today. Pause. I’ll wait…. Got it?
Now would you believe me if I told you that, that is not the most important thing? You see, our earthly lives are driven by all the responsibilities, tasks, and lists of things we must accomplish for this life, and to be certain, these things matter. In many cases, they matter a great deal. Yet the word of God reminds us that we live this life in relation to God. Always, in elation to God. It is never about a list of things we have to do. It is how much we learn to walk close to him.
Our time on earth gains heavenly significance when we live in service to others for God’s glory. C. T. Studd, the late British missionary (1860-1931) put it this way: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” This means that the most important thing you will do today, is that which you do for Christ. Whether you are a janitor, lawyer, teacher or something else, do it only as unto the Lord. Like a traffic signal, you are here to point others to Christ in whatever area or position God has called you to.
How do we point others to Christ? By bearing and sharing the fruit of the Spirit which Paul elaborates on in Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” The fruit of the Spirit can only be visible when we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, and when we clothe ourselves with humility as Christ did, looking out for the interests of others rather than our own.
Therefore, as we go through this week, and at the end of each day, let us pause and ask ourselves: “How did I make others feel today? Did my life, and my interactions point others to Christ? Pointing other to Christ, yes, that is the most important thing you will do each day, and when the most important thing is accomplished, everything else will fall in place.