Worthless Life

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. – Acts 20:24

The apostle Paul was roaming the country teaching people about Christ. In some places, he was greatly effective, but not without resistance. He begins to take stock of his life and what it means to him. His life? Worthless. His only concern was the mission that God had given him: to tell others about God’s kindness. Compared to the mission, his life was worthless.

How can I even compare to this? I think my life is of great value. I try to protect my life. I exercise, wear a seatbelt, don’t wrassel snakes. My life is worth something to me. But am I hanging on to my life more than I am hanging on to the mission of Christ? Is my comfort more important than his cause? My security a greater value than his mission? I fear that it is.

What would it look like to be so ate up with the mission of Christ that other things just seemed worthless? I wonder if I will ever be in that place. I dance around here and there and I see glimpses of a worthless, missional life. It is compelling.

I meet people who live worthless lives combined with a hopeless mission. I also meet people with worthless lives with a mission of hope. They are the most well adjusted and content people that I know. It’s like they have it all in perspective. What would it be like to live like that? Will I ever know?

No wonder Jesus said to find our life we must loose it. Maybe it is time to trade life in for a mission beyond anything I can hope, ask, or imagine. Worthless on mission.
[tags]acts 20, acts, devotions, Bible, life journaling, church, God[/tags]