Does My Life Matter?

In the past half a year I was strongly struggling with one problem. I asked myself a question: If I died this very night, would there be any eternal difference in this world that was made through my life? I was discouraged when I realized there wasn't. I don't mean there wouldn't be any difference at all, but there wouldn't be any that would last forever. That I would get to see the fruit of it in heaven when I would meet a person in whose life I was used by God as an instrument for salvation.

Maybe you yourself are asking that same question from time to time. Does my life matter? Has I changed anything in this world? These thoughts can be very discouraging and therefore let me tell you something. Something I thought of the other day and would like to share with all of you.

But first I think it's important for me to state what is the purpose of this article and what is not. The purpose of this article is not to give you a reason for not spreading the gospel. The goal of this article is to encourage you so that you will spread the gospel.

There's a short saying and it goes like this:

Only one life 
'Twill soon be past 
Only what's done for 
Christ will last.

And Paul says: So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Only what's done for Christ will last and do all to the glory of God. That's what matters. That's what makes the eternal difference. It's not about keeping a score of how many converts I "made". It's about: How have I glorified God? Preaching the gospel and making disciples of all the nations is our secondary goal (of responsibility if you want). The primary one is God. In Matthew 22 Jesus is answering the question:

Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and FIRST commandment. And a SECOND is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 
(Matthew 22:36-39)

We don't love God because we make disciples. We make disciples, because we love God.

One day everything will be gone. All the difference we think we made on this earth will disappear and the only "thing" that will remain will be us and God. Therefore everything we do must somehow relate to God - namely, everything we do we are to do to the glory of God. And because it's done for God, it will have the eternal difference because it shall remain. An 88 years old man that today became a Christian and will die tomorrow can make an eternal difference even if he didn't get to share the gospel once. How? Simply: he lived those 24 hours as a Christian - to the glory of God.

May we all live our lives in such a way that God gets all the glory!
Marek