A Life That Matters

I received this email last week from my friend Gloria and it stuck out in my mind for several days, so I thought some of you might enjoy reading it as well. I feel like we take life so lightly; it's almost like someone owes us something; or we think we're going to be here forever. The opposite is so true. No one owes me anything, I'm the one that had a debt that I could not pay. Jesus paid it all for me with his precious blood. He gave His life for me; the least I can do is live for Him. The reality of not living forever upon this earth becomes more real to me each day of my life. I think of all the people who were in my life for so many years, and now they are gone. It's just a process. When I was a little girl, my grandparents were at the season in life that my parents are now, my parents were in the season of life that I am today. We have a gift from God called life. Alot of "LIFE" that happens is beyond our control, but how I act and the choices I make is in my control. My attitude is in my control. My words are in my control. What I do for others is in my control. Even my smile is in my control. There should be a purpose in our lives, not just every now and then, but each precious day we are blessed with. I'm not around others outside of my family each day, but my attitude at home is very important, and contagious I might add! Am I teaching by example that my actions are important to God? Am I teaching by example that I am a servant of Christ and therefore to others? Am I kind? Do I love with actions, not just by words? Am I a vessel of honor? I read somewhere that Today is called the Present because it is a gift. Unwrap the gift of today. Choose to bless, choose to love, choose kindness, choose God's way, choose to serve God. Acts 26 tells about when Paul was being tried before King Agrippa. King Agrippa told Paul that he could speak for himself. Then Paul stretched out his hand and said for himself: verse 2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: Well, I choose to think myself happy, no not in a silly-whimsical way, but I think myself happy due to the joy of my salvation. True joy and peace comes from WHO lives within me, not the circumstances around me. I desire to live a life that matters.

A Life That Matters

Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.

All the things you collected,

whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owing.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from or on which side of the tracks you lived.

It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.

Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what WILL matter?

How will the value of your days be measured?

What WILL matter is not what you bought, but what you built;

not what you got, but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success, but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion,

courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew,

but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.

What will matter is not your memories,

but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.

It is not a matter of circumstance, but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

Choose to live for Jesus.