“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus.” [Acts 20:24]
FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, I’d like to share ten life principles I gleaned from my dad. He’s been with the Lord for decades now, and I only got to spend my first twenty-one years with him. But the things he taught me and the way of life he modeled during his brief span on earth have proved to be a rich legacy for my life. I hope you’ll receive these nuggets of truth as gifts of wisdom from your heavenly Father.
The first and perhaps the most foundational is this: Take God seriously. My father was already an adult before Jesus captured his heart, but when He did, He got every ounce of my dad! His faith was not just a compartment or category of his life; it was the sum and substance of his existence. Jesus was everything to him.
I remember being on a family vacation once when we ran into a missionary couple who was staying at the same place we were. My dad struck up a conversation with them by asking (in his trademark way), “How’s the ‘fishing’ down here?” He didn’t want to know if the trout were biting; he was asking if these folks were finding the people around there open to talking about Christ. When the man answered, “I don’t know, we’re on vacation,” my dad was blown away. He had no problem with Christians enjoying a vacation from work; but he couldn’t fathom the idea of taking a vacation from serving God and sharing Christ.
Truly, the Lord did not save us for a part-time, weekends-only commitment to Him. No matter what your vocation, being His follower and servant is a 24/7 calling. Everywhere you go. Everything you are. For all of time and eternity.
Is knowing and serving Jesus what gets you up and going in the morning? Is He at the center of your thoughts and actions through the day? He deserves to be taken seriously. [The Quiet Place]
