July 19 — "What Makes Life Matter Most?"

Today's Reading: Acts 20:17-38

Your life finds its true value when it’s spent fulfilling your Creator’s plan for your life. In today’s passage, Paul makes it crystal clear—he didn’t measure his days by ease, fame, or comfort. Nope! He said, “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus” (NLT). He understood that real significance doesn’t come from building a self-focused legacy—it comes from pouring our lives into God’s mission. Life’s worth isn’t found in what we accumulate, but in what we surrender to Jesus. As George W. Truett wisely said, “To know God's will is the greatest knowledge. To do God's will is the greatest achievement.”

Paul was walking straight into trouble in Jerusalem—and he knew it. Imprisonment, suffering, hardship? All part of the package. But he didn’t flinch. He had already made peace with the mission: “If I don’t finish what Jesus gave me to do, my life isn’t worth much at all.” Paul wasn’t climbing ladders or chasing applause. He was responding to a divine summons. That’s what pulses at the heart of a disciple: the grit to follow God wherever He leads. Paul knew his mission was the key to a life that truly mattered.

Here’s the bottom line—we weren’t saved just to coast through life like spiritual tumbleweeds. Each of us has a God-given assignment. It may not mean preaching to crowds like Paul, but maybe it means raising children who love Jesus, ministering to others at church, comforting someone who’s grieving, teaching a Bible study, volunteering at a shelter, or sowing into God’s work through your resources. When eternity shapes our focus, everything—our time, our choices, even our trials—starts making sense. Life becomes more than surviving—it becomes sacred calling.

So, what’s the work Jesus has assigned to you? If your answer is fuzzy, take time to ask Him plainly, “Lord, what have You called me to do?” Then, whatever He speaks to your heart, take action—any step, big or small—toward obedience. Don’t wait for perfect conditions. Don’t chase comfort. Chase calling. Measure your life not by likes, but by how well you follow Jesus. That’s how you finish strong. That’s when your life really begins to matter.

Take these words from Oswald Chambers to heart: “The call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude.” Obedience to Jesus—that’s the heartbeat of a meaningful life.

Today, may the Lord ignite a fiery passion in your heart to pursue what matters most—His call. May He grant you clarity, boldness, and unshakable joy. And may your days echo into eternity as you walk faithfully with Jesus, the One who makes life worth living.