24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.
Reading Paul’s words that he considers his life worth nothing could lead us to believe he was suicidal. But Paul is comparing his life with his task in life. He knows the Lord has a mission for him and that mission is worth much more than his life. He knows his life will end, but the results of his mission will last through eternity. Do you know what your mission is in life? Do you see the Lord doing something in you that transcends your day to day life, something that will last forever? Or is your life only about doing the laundry or filling out that paperwork? We all have those mundane tasks to perform, tasks that get boring almost as soon as you learn to accomplish them. And yet we must do them thousands of times over a lifetime. Does your life only have these types of tasks? If it does, I want to encourage you to find some eternal tasks to fill out your days. Begin by praying that the Lord would provide you a sense of mission in what you are doing day by day. Many moms feel as if they accomplish so little as they change diapers and clean up the mess. But moms are shaping and molding the next generation. Nothing is more important than that. We each have interaction with other people. Those interactions have an eternal dynamic that we often forget. Our conversations can be seasoned with grace, God’s grace. I am not talking about cramming Jesus down people’s throat, but I am talking about sharing the hope we have, a hope that lifts and transforms. Paul realized that what he was doing had eternal consequences. That is why his day to day drive was so great. He was doing God’s work. He was on God’s timetable. Whose work are you doing? Whose timetable are you following?
The Arnold Journey 