Earl D. Ramacher said, “I become today, by what I do with what God gave me, what I will be in the life to come. Today is a day of becoming. Then will be a day of being what I have become.” This is a truth that followers of Jesus must keep foremost in their minds. It’s something typical Christians scarcely consider. What we do today has massive implications on how we will spend eternity. Much like the metaphor of a butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world causes a Tsunami in another, our small actions today ultimately will shape and define our spiritual destiny.
This isn’t about being a “good” person or doing things so that we can “earn” our way into Heaven. The attitudes and motivations that we allow to shape our lives have eternal consequences. We don’t be or do good in hopes of courting God’s favor. Rather, our unselfish motives and servant’s heart are blessed by God because He sees us becoming the person He created us to be. Jim Rohn, one of the foremost business philosophers of the last 50 years, said “It’s not becoming a millionaire that’s important; it’s who you become along the way that is important.” Likewise, it is the person we become as we endeavor to serve Christ that makes all the difference in this world and the one to come.
Can you imagine facing God while He separates the “sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31-46)? If we spend our lives in selfish pursuits, hoarding material possessions, and seeking as much comfort and security as possible, we will find ourselves on the wrong side of the equation when our lives are considered by God. If we live like a “goat” now, we’ll be treated as one when we come into the presence of our Creator.
In contrast, if we spend our days caring for the poor, the sick, the marginalized, and ultimately anyone in need, we are becoming more and more like Jesus every day. When we put aside our own desires and ambitions and look to serve others instead, we are developing the love of Christ within ourselves. We are becoming the person He created us to be. As a result, He will welcome us into His rest when our time comes to leave this earth. Who we are becoming today results in an eternity of having become someone who looks just like Jesus.
Our words, thoughts, and actions all define who we are becoming today. Who we are becoming today directly impacts who we will have become tomorrow. This is not simply a dress rehearsal; there is no “do-over”. There must be an urgency and intentionality to the way we live every second of every minute of every hour of our lives. With God’s strength and power, we can become who He created us to be, but we must choose to want that. We must decide that He is worth everything. As you live your life today, who are you becoming?