do you want to be great?...

so do you want to be great in heaven? you can make fame the goal of your life, and you get it for one week. you get it on the cover, and the next week somebody else is going to be on the cover of some magazine. fame does not last in this world, so i wouldn’t waste a penny or a moment of your time trying to become famous. it doesn’t last. HE says if you want to be great in heaven, if you want to be great for eternity, if you want to be rewarded for all eternity, you’re going to need to rearrange your priorities and rearrange your schedule to allow more time for serving because that’s what GOD’s going to evaluate.

did you serve? did you give your life away in love to help other people? so HE would say, “do you want to make your life count? stop envying people and start serving them.” and GOD says, “i’m taking notice and you’re going to be rewarded eventually.”

GOD has given you certain abilities, spiritual gifts, passions and experiences. you’re unique. GOD gave you those talents and strengths not for your benefit; HE gave you your talent for the benefit of other people. if you use it on yourself, you miss the point. if you use it on other people, to serve others, GOD says good going. you’re doing exactly what you’re put on earth to do. so use it for the benefit of others.

life is about serving, not acquiring. it’s not how many toys you pile up, it’s not how big a house you get. it’s about: are you a lover? are you a server? are you like JESUS CHRIST and kind to others? and do you give your life away in service to others?

here’s the amazing lesson. if you start giving your life away in service to others, studies have shown you’ll live longer. studies have shown that people who do volunteer service regularly are far more likely to live longer and are less likely to experience a major illness during the course of their lifetime. several other recent studies have shown that volunteering to serve others boasts your level of endorphins, the brain chemical that give you a natural high, and endorphins also play a role in lowering your blood pressure, boosting immunity, which may account for why people who volunteer to serve live longer than those who don’t.

i would add to that that when you’re busy serving others, you don’t have time to envy them. in your weekly schedule, is there any time during your week that you’re doing unselfish, volunteer service in the community, in the church, in the school? anywhere that you’re serving voluntarily? you say, “i’m too busy!” yes, you’re too busy. you need to change your schedule. because when you get to heaven, you’re not going to be evaluated on the stuff that’s filling your schedule right now. it’s going to be on, did you learn to love? you say, “i don’t know where to start.” just look around. there are opportunities all around you..

love is something you do. and JESUS said if you want to be great, you’ve got to focus on this one. because it’s the ultimate antidote to envy.

just a thought from the front porch…