It is my strong belief each of us have been created with a unique blend of passions, talents, and skills to accomplish the work God intended for us (Ephesians 2:10). I am also convinced God’s will for your life is to obey the things He told you to do, to put the needs of other’s first, and to reflect the matchless character of God in everything you do.
A life devoted to Christ will, at its core, be a life that looks like His. Grasping these principles will be amazingly freeing for you. Even for those who get this, some stumble on how to practically live it out in their day to day lives. I’d like to try and answer that question.
Zig Ziglar used to refer to an alarm clock as an “opportunity clock”. His premise was each morning was an opportunity to do something significant with your life. Nothing is more significant than aligning your life to the life of Jesus. Our first waking thoughts should be of Christ and planning how we will look like Him today. Each day is a gift, an opportunity, to share Jesus with the world through our actions and activities.
I’ve said in previous writings everything we do should somehow relate to building the Kingdom of God. I firmly believe that, but also think it can be easily misconstrued. I don’t mean you never do anything about which you are passionate. God put those passions inside you. Use them for His glory. If you love to read, by all means read; learn all you can, but always be thinking how you can apply what you learn to help others or in some way model Christ. If you are artistic, draw, paint, color, whatever you desire; you can get lost in your creativity which honors the One who wove it into you. Use this time to meditate on Christ’s beauty. Pray as you work if your focus allows. Be thankful for the beauty God is allowing you to create.
In business, every interaction is an opportunity to differentiate yourself; be sure to do so in a way which allows Jesus to shine through you. Conduct your affairs with integrity, your sales calls with utter transparency and keeping the needs of the other person at the forefront. If you are repairing some woodwork or plumbing, do a job that always exceeds the expectations of your client. Remember Paul’s admonition to do everything as if Jesus was our boss or foreman (Colossians 3:23-24).
You don’t need to live the life of a monk to build the Kingdom with every breath. You simply need to see each moment as an opportunity to continue the mission of Jesus. Use your talents and passions for His glory. Reflect Him in everything you do. Living the life you were created to live is simple but not easy. It requires paying attention and being aware of each moment. It can be done, and nothing you undertake will ever be more worth it or add more value to your life. Seek first His Kingdom and, in the end, you will find and have your greatest heart’s desire (Matthew 6:33).