• Measuring Our Calling In Light Of Eternity

    By: Kristen L. McNulty

    Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.

    Imagine standing at the end of your life, looking back. Your days, years, and decades all stretched out behind you like a landscape. The faces you've met, the places you've been, the work you've done – it's all there, a reflection of who you were. But now, as the end approaches, the question looms: What will you be known for? What will your legacy be?

    Measuring The Value of a Life


    I've had the somber task of writing a few obituaries in my life, and there's one thing that always stands out to me when I read obituaries: so much of what we think matters in life isn't even mentioned. Have you ever noticed that an obituary rarely talks about someone's salary or how many awards they won? You don't see long lists of degrees or career achievements. The things we often are quick to brag about on social media are also surprisingly missing. Why is that? I think, deep down, we all know that these things are not what truly define a person's worth or the value of their life.

    No, what people remember and celebrate is how a person loved, what fueled their passion, and, most importantly for us as believers, where they placed their faith and how that faith changed and defined both their life and the lives of the people around them.

    Shouldn't that realization change how we live today?

    Clarity On What Matters


    The Bible provides clarity about what truly matters in the end. In Ephesians 4:1 , Paul urges us: "Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God."

    This verse makes it very clear that we are called to live a life that honors God and the calling His has placed on our lives as believers.

    The same calling is echoed in 1 Thessalonians 2:12, where Paul writes, "We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory."

    So how do we live our lives in a way God would make it worthy? It's not found in collecting accolades or achievements or possessions. It's found in loving God fully, loving others completely, and following Jesus daily. Our faith is not an add on to a life that looks just like everyone else in this world. We have been set apart with a special calling that we have the privilege of living out.

    The Easy Path or The Hard Road


    The truth is we can lie to ourselves and take the easy path, seeking comfort and security and chasing the things of this world, but that is the path that takes us directly away from Jesus. In Matthew 19:24, Jesus challenges us with these words: "I'll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!"

    This is a powerful reminder that following Christ requires us to abandon the pursuit of worldly wealth and security and to follow Him with everything. Radical obedience isn't easy, but it is what Jesus calls us to.

    So, we must ask ourselves: when we die what will the summary of our lives be? Will we be remembered as people who faithfully loved God and others? When we cross the finish line into eternity will we be welcomed into the arms of Jesus with a well done good and faithful servant? Or will we very quickly be met with regret as we realize our time here on earth was selfishly spent trying to build our own kingdom rather than God's?

    Today, let's commit to living intentionally, living a life that matters according to God's standards, not ours. Let's make our lives count, especially in light of eternity and the calling that's been placed on our lives.

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