Leonardo DiCaprio, one of the world’s most famous actors recently said, “You learn after you've been in this business for a while that fame is empty and pointless."
We live in a world that is attracted to fame and position and praise. If we’re not careful and disciplined in our approach to life, we’ll also be attracted by them, wanting prestige, wanting people to give us respect, credit, compliments, or at least acknowledgement.
But we are working before an “audience of One.” As followers of Jesus Christ, He is the center of our lives. Paul said about you and me:
“I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments” (Col 2).
Jesus is the main thing. This life is wrapped up in one thing—following Christ. When we make Jesus the center, then the balance of our lives is based on Him—not on our strength or human wisdom or personality or how often someone says, “You did great!”
Achievement is not measured in how many people we’ve preached to, or how much money we’ve made, or the cool places we’ve been or the prestigious awards we’ve received or how many people on social media know about it.
Our goals will only be fulfilling when they align with our love of Jesus Christ. Over and over Paul said, in essence, “unless we’re following Christ, we’re living an empty life.” He wrote:
“I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (Phil 3:7,8 NLT).
Our goals will only be reached when we have a purpose, a determined course. Then we can fend off the temptations of good things that keep us from the best. Warren Buffet said, “The most successful people in the world have learned how to say ‘NO’ to the things that pull them from their purpose.”
Distractions are the devil’s hammer.
The discipline of doing the right thing at the right time is always the result of living with the end result in view. Set your purpose, and your purpose will create your plans and priorities. Remember, a dream without discipline is just a fantasy.
“In the absence of clear purpose, we become addicted to the habitual performance of the trivial and mundane.” Erwin R. McManus
Paul wrote, “No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (Phil 3).
We can forget the past, because it has been forgiven by God by the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. What is unforgiven will never be forgotten—you will always live with that cloud over you—BUT what is forgiven is cleansed from our thinking. It no longer defines us.
What defines me is my purpose. My purpose is Jesus.
Paul declared, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead” (Phil 3).
And, “He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together” (Col 1:17).
Your life is held together only in Jesus—it’s all about Jesus. Make Him your purpose.
