Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”
Our Bible verse for today: “Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Philippians 1:27 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Don’t accumulate possessions; accumulate experiences.”
Recently I’ve been reading Mark Batterson’s latest book “Chase the Lion”. The subtitle is: “If your dream doesn’t scare you, it’s too small.” Mark is the senior pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. and the author of multiple books.
In this book “Chase the Lion”, “the lion” is a metaphor for your dream – the thing you would like to do with your life that would be rewarding and fulfilling. When you discover your God-given dream, the purpose for which He has called and equipped you, and then your pursue it and develop it, you be honoring God with your life. But that kind of life is not found by accumulating the things this world labels as being important (money, possessions, power, etc). Instead it’s found in the experiences that come with living the life God has planned for you.
What would that look like in your life? It all depends. It depends on how God has wired you. It depends on the skills, abilities, and unique gifts God has given to you. You have to discover those, develop them, and pursue your dream. That could be something exotic, like international mission trips, or it could be volunteer work at the local Boy’s and Girl’s club. It could include things like working with the church Youth Group, or serving meals at the local Rescue Mission, or being a children’s Sunday school teacher. It’s possible God has called and equipped you to be a nurse, a public school teacher, a musician, a butcher or baker or candlestick maker. Whatever the dream is that God has given to you for your life, it will involve serving Him and serving others – and the experiences that come from doing that will be what really make your life meaningful.
Mark’s point is that a life that matters is a life that is focused on more than just your own wants, needs, and desires. A truly meaningful life will be filled with experiences not things. Our thought for today, “Don’t accumulate possessions; accumulate experiences”, those are Mark’s words. Here’s another:
“The sad reality is that most people spend their lives accumulating the wrong things … Life isn’t measure in dollars; it’s measured in moments you can’t put a price tag on.”
“Life is measured in moments you can’t put a price tag on.” Such moments will involve God and other people. If your focus is on yourself and on things, then yours is a small life that is deficient in the things that really matter.
In Philippians 1:27 Paul urges us to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He certainly means that with respect to things like moral standards, faithfulness, etc. But I believe those words also imply that we must discover and live the life God wants for us – a life filled with the experiences of serving Him and serving others.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 