“25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Matthew 16:25 (NKJV).

When we pursue self-preservation, we do not reach the greatest return on investment in an eternal sense. Furthermore, albeit counter-intuitively, when we serve God, we deny ourselves temporal pleasures for a lasting sense of purpose and satisfaction here on earth as well. Once we develop a taste for accomplishing the will of God, we will no longer find the same joy elsewhere. We will see our old pet sins and idols for the fruitless and time-consuming nature they inherently possess. We will never regret denying ourselves earthly pleasures for eternal blessings (Luke 9:23, Romans 8:18). If the sacrifices we make are for better positioning ourselves to glorify God, we will eventually see the byproduct of those decisions.

It is entirely in God’s hands what aspect of His blessings we will enjoy here on earth and which others manifest themselves in Heaven forever (Luke 18:29-30). I would venture to say frequently the things worth pursuing involve calculated risks. If the reward is immediate and there is little to no sacrifice involved, it typically indicates that such endeavors are not worthy of our time. Therefore, we need to condition ourselves to think long-term concerning our choices. Our daily activities should serve a greater purpose down the road.

Of course, there is a time and place to enjoy God’s blessing of rest and seize opportunities to appreciate leisure activity (Matthew 11:28). However, the more significant portion of our time should question each action based on its merit from an eternal vantage point. It takes discipline and sacrifice to write a book, edit it, find an agent, pursue a traditional publisher, and bring it to market. While this process doesn’t happen overnight, you will see your work come to fruition if you stick with it. If the book has content that will lead others to Jesus Christ or encourage existing believers to further their walk, there is more than enough motivation to fuel your efforts (Acts 20:24, Matthew 28:19-20). This journey can bring a writer great satisfaction and joy, but it is undoubtedly not something even the best authors can do in a short time frame.

One noteworthy thing to consider is that we find our area of giftedness that we can apply to serve God before we embark on the journey. You may see me write a book, but you won’t see me pursue a singing career as a Christian music artist. These are both creative outlets that have the potential to honor and bring glory to God, but they are different skill sets. I know that I am not a skilled vocalist. Sometimes, it takes some honest introspection to come to terms with this, especially when your dream involves something you’re not naturally adept at. On the flip side, a good work ethic has a lot to do with it, so we don’t want to get prematurely discouraged and dismiss our potential. There is a possibility that if you stick with something you love for long enough, in due time, the practice will differentiate you as a tremendous talent. With that said, it helps a great deal to have some natural aptitude at what you commit your time to do.

Over the years, I have realized some people excel at their craft but do not get the chance to share it on a large platform. Meanwhile, others who are arguably inferior in their ability do so on a massive scale (Ecclesiastes 9:11). Therefore, I take comfort in serving God, whether it is in relative obscurity or with a worldwide audience. While my reach may be small, our God is infinitely vast. As long as I put in my side of the effort, which His grace empowers, He may decide to exalt me in terms of developing a broader audience.

There’s no shame in reaching out to a small number of people with the Gospel. If all an entire lifetime of my writings did was lead one person to come to saving faith, it would be 100% worthwhile. God may even delight specifically in observing my motivations do not revolve around achieving fame or monetary compensation above serving my Creator. Another possibility is that He is preparing me for that in the future. There are times God may decide to shape our character, teach us lessons, or equip us through experiences before our exaltation occurs (Matthew 23:11-12).

The last thing we should want to do is risk finding fame or fortune and losing our intimate relationship with God in the process. How often have we heard of stories where believers were not ready for the challenges of the platform they obtained? In a nutshell, we must truly desire to make less of ourselves and more of God before making that kind of transition (John 3:30). Otherwise, we may be exposed to pride or lose our identity amid people making a bigger deal about us than they should. We know that all the talents, gifts, and resources are all God’s. If we lose sight of that and our humility, it may prove a lethal combination and destroy the credibility of our ministry efforts (Proverbs 16:18).

In the end, we should keep our eyes on Jesus Christ and eternity to determine the appropriate short-term and long-term goals. If we desire to reflect Him in what we do, it will display itself in the majority of our actions (John 13:13-15). For instance, it’s not a good enough reason to pursue a relationship or marriage solely because you think it might make you happy or fill a void. Instead, we should determine if we glorify God more together with that person than if we remain single. Ask yourself if the person shares your values and encourages you to draw closer to God or pulls you further away from Him (“The Surpassing Goal: Marriage Lived for the Glory of God” by John Piper).

Another example may involve making a transition to a new career. You might want to question whether there are any ethical dilemmas associated with your new job. Is there anything in your potential new role that requires you to violate your Christian convictions? Another consideration revolves around the opportunity cost of the shift. Will you have less free time to dedicate to serving and ministry efforts that are a critical part of your goals? If you make a modest salary at a job that affords you the possibility of sowing seeds of the Gospel, you might want to think twice before you change career paths solely based on a higher salary, for instance. There are so many variables to consider that we need to assess them on a case-by-case basis accordingly. As such, it is critical to pray and rely on the multitude of counselors that God may have graciously surrounded us with for their input when appropriate (Proverbs 11:14).

Instead of making hasty decisions based on our emotions or even sound logic, bringing it to God in prayer is always an advisable course of action (James 1:5). Who knows how much trouble you might avoid and eternally valuable seeds you might be able to sow by simply making one more good choice and avoiding a bad one. Moreover, if we set apart some time to contemplate everything with God before making decisions, it can alter the course of our entire lives and our ability to do good works for God in the future.

However, no matter how much we pray and prepare, we are imperfect, and eventually, specific issues require a leap of faith (“What is a leap of faith?” GotQuestions.org). May God help us all as we take that leap with a desire to invest our lives in the things that matter. Let our motivations revolve around our Maker instead of maximizing personal pleasure or earthly gain. If He sees that His glory is our inspiration, I am confident that He will not allow us to stumble permanently (Proverbs 24:16). Instead, he will rescue us from pitfalls and provide ways of escape from temptation to help us navigate a better future as we learn to lean on Him perpetually (1 Corinthians 10:13). 

When we value the things of God rather than the distractions of this world, we open the door to doing remarkable things. Perhaps this does not ring more true than when serving God in relative obscurity without caring about the world’s recognition. We need to operate with the right motivations. A good deed done in the name of fame, fortune, or another compromised reason is not equivalent to doing the same thing with pure motives. Of course, being that sin still lives in us, expecting perfection on our part would be naive and frankly impossible. However, God will ultimately weigh the intentions of our hearts regarding each of the actions we take, including those occurring in secret (Proverbs 21:2, Ecclesiastes 12:14).

If the world always applauds us and treats us exceptionally well, it should serve as a warning to us that something may be amiss (Luke 6:26). After all, as believers, we are in the process of sanctification (2 Timothy 2:14-21). If that is the case, we are becoming more Christ-like every day. However, given that the world crucified our Savior, Jesus Christ, can we expect to be like Him without having our share of battles? God willing, we do not have to suffer to the level He did, but some believers across the globe are actively persecuted for their faith daily. If we get too caught up with trying to do what is right in man’s eyes at the expense of our integrity with God, we need to examine and re-establish our priorities. 

There is no way for us to make an eternally meaningful impact without Jesus Christ operating in, with, and through us (Ephesians 2:10). It is an extraordinary honor that God not only allows but empowers each of us to share in the work He arranged for us to do before we were even born. Although God does not need us, He does want us to be His hands and feet here on earth (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). We cannot accomplish this mission by ourselves. Community is integral to building one another up in faith, discipleship, and offering all the components of support that we provide each other. Furthermore, we may encourage one another to pursue our respective callings through all the avenues God has opened for us. Even the most dedicated Christians can struggle outside the Church’s support network.

As much as the call to assemble as a Church is beneficial to all of us, we need to remember that our mission goes beyond the four walls we call home on Sundays. Stepping out into the world to reach the lost and provide support to those in need is a must. It is unrealistic to assume that everyone who needs to hear the Gospel will attend Church on Sunday without prompting. As much as we need to be recharged by God’s Word and refreshed by its contents in one form or another (preaching, music, Bible study, etc.), it is likewise vital to share the good news with the lost. We must make sure to take a step back from secular environments and friendships to be fed. Otherwise, we would unnecessarily risk having our walk with God derailed. Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). As such, we need to be careful to guard our hearts and rely on God so that does not happen to us (Proverbs 4:23).

Ultimately, our legacy should truly rest on God’s will for us. There is no one-size-fits-all for how each of us ought to accomplish that. The mission may be the same in the sense of evangelizing the lost, obeying God’s commands, and serving people, but how we do all these things may vastly differ. I would venture to say we most effectively do all these things when we utilize the gifts, talents, and resources God has provided each of us for His glory. 

You may not yet be sure what that looks like for you. An excellent place to begin is to focus on the attributes that require the least amount of effort for you. For example, one of your friends from Church may have pointed out how good you are with art, singing, or producing/editing video content. With this in mind, you can approach your Church leaders and ask them where you might help with your skillset. I would suggest you not underestimate your abilities in such areas, for we are often our most prominent critics. All things considered, when you do everything as if unto God, it is only a matter of time before that untapped potential in you reveals itself (Colossians 3:23). 

If we grab hold of these Biblical ideas and diligently apply them, we will excel in the sight of God and delight Him (Psalms 37:23). As such, we will redeem our days here on earth and walk the path God has predestined each of us to pursue (Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 5:16-18). Leaving behind a meaningful legacy that echoes into eternity becomes a byproduct of consistently putting our faith into action as God ordains for us to do (James 2:14-16). Aspire not to lose sight of this core mission is integral because the devil and his demons will attempt to divert us from it (1 Peter 5:8-9). The world and its fleeting pleasures will quickly fade away (1 John 2:17), but if we avoid those and focus on the things of God, we will not need to live in regret. All those times where we face suffering in our walk with God are trivial sacrifices compared to the eternal blessings ahead (James 1:2-8, Romans 8:18).