I have been thinking lately on life and what is important to God and why we are all here in the first place. I have goals and dreams for my life. I am working on another degree and contemplating the trajectory of my career. I am looking at house plans and dreaming about an addition to our current home. I am looking around at my friends and acquaintances chipping away at every obstacle between them and achieving that American Dream.
But when I stop to tell God all about these goals and dreams centered around material things, he stops me short.
The silence is deafening.
The realization hits me that all of these things I am working so hard to attain will be worth nothing in eternity.
What is the only thing going with us when we pass on from this life?
Our souls.
Our souls are the only thing on this Earth that God deemed worthy enough to bring with us into eternity. What does that say about what matters to God? Not our money, not a career, not our possessions, not even our fleshly body. The only thing in this world that matters anything to God are people and the souls inside them.
What does that mean for us? It means that if we want our goals and dreams to have eternal consequences then we must value people and relationships Above. All. Else. It means that our future plans must be relationship-driven. Not where can I go or what can I do, but who can I help? It means that when we define success it is measured in moments that matter not an amount of money.
With this perspective, the stuff around me that I have long perceived as blessings now just weigh me down. If the only thing God is taking into eternity is people does he really care about my Earthly amenities?
The true blessings in this life can’t be seen or touched, but are felt. They are the sparks that fly from Godly interactions. The eternal sparks of a life lived on fire for Christ.
It’s a conversation in which your dear friend opens your eyes to sin in your own life. It’s watching others come to know Christ and knowing you were able to play a small role in their spiritual growth. It’s giving a gift, a hug, or a word of encouragement and for a moment being the hope of Christ to someone else. It’s walking through grief, loss and other hardships and being truly grateful because now you know God on a much deeper level.
When I think about why we’re here and why we go through the motions of this life it all comes down to one word: relationship. Nurturing our Relationship with God, maintaining relationship with others, and watching the sparks fly. These are the only things that matter in eternity.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Live Simply in Christ 
Beautifully written and totally right on! Love love love
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