It’s weird the things you remember from when you were a kid. I can recall spending an evening at home with my family when I was 5 or 6 years old. We were watching a movie staring John Belushi.
As I remember it, there was a scene where he was sitting in the cockpit of a World War II, American airplane flying down a main street of New York City, with his machine gun rattling off rounds at everything in sight.
While being fired upon in return, and with a crazed gleam in his eyes, he bellowed through the cigar wedged between his cheek and teeth:
“I am invincible!” “I am immortal!”
I immediately turned to my mom and asked, “Mom, what does that mean?” She replied, “It means to never die, or to last forever.” This stirred a curiosity within me, a desire that yearned to understand more. It was the first summon from God that beckoned me to ponder eternal realities.
Later, after I came to know God and Jesus, His Son, in a personal way, I learned that deep within every heart there is a divinely planted desire for invincibility and immortality.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts…”
– Ecclesiastes 3:11a (NKJV)
It’s God-given and it’s built to last. Within each one of us is the longing to have all that we do, in both our life and our leadership, have lasting value. We all desire this. Am I right? Don’t we all want to leave a legacy of lasting value, both here and in eternity?
As I understand the whole of God’s instruction manual for life and leadership, I see that there are only 3 main things that are built to last:
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The TRIUNE GOD:
The Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. The person of the Godhead has always existed, and always will exist.
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The WORD of God:
As one of the many examples that speak of this, Psalm 119:89 says, “Your Word, O Lord is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”
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And PEOPLE:
We are all immortal. We will all live forever. Our eternal destination is up to us and what we decide to do with Jesus.
So here’s a question I would like to encourage you to consider each day for this week:
How much of what I do, in my life and leadership, is built to last based on the above criteria?
In other words…
- How much of my work/ministry is focused on doing it with and for God, seeking to fulfill His purposes and plans?
- How much of it is derived, motivated, and executed by the principles of God’s Word?
- How much of my “9 to 5 work/ministry window” is concerned with, and concentrated on, serving and developing people with numbers 1 and 2 from the preceding list?
Eternity is at stake! Stop. Listen. Respond to the ideas God lays on your heart and build your life and leadership on the things that will last.
One other idea: At the end of each day (for one week) conduct a little dialogue review with God:
- How did I relate with You today Lord? Did I work with You and for You?
- What principles of Your Word did I implement today? Which ones did I disregard or neglect?
- How did I do at loving and serving people? At developing them? At being a light, pointing them to You?
A PRAYER FOR YOU…
“Oh my gracious and awesome God! How I long and seek to be one who stands in the gap for those You prompt to read this. I ask that Your Spirit would stir within them all the ways that You want to make their lives and their leadership last, both now and for all eternity. Thank You, in advance, for the multiple ways You are going to answer the prayer of Your servant. In Your Son, Jesus’ name I pray.”
Keep the Conversation Going…
- … by sharing a way you sought to do the above. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR IT! It could be a game changer for someone else who reads your idea.
- … by emailing, posting, and sharing your idea via one of the tabs below.