When was the last time you sat down and thought about your goals or checked up on your priorities? If we aren’t careful, as we get older life gets busier and we let our goals or the things that should be at the top of our priority list slip through the cracks. Luckily, we have the perfect example of someone who lived their life intentionally and didn’t let their goals fall to the wayside: Jesus.
Jesus knew His purpose on this Earth and never lost sight of it. He was deliberate in His days, conversations, and overall life. His mission was similar to ours, because as believers we are called to be like Him. We’re called to witness to the lost, heal the sick, and be examples of God’s love and compassion.
Let’s take a closer look at how Jesus spent His time, revealing where His true focus was:
Teaching the disciples/others around him. You do not have to be a minister to tell people about Jesus! We can encourage our family, friends, and even strangers daily. Remember, it is not only through our words that we reach people for the Kingdom, but through our actions as well.
Healing the sick. The Word says those who believe, not only pastors or traveling ministers, will heal the sick (Matthew 16:17-18). Jesus observed the needs of others and had compassion towards all. He took it upon Himself when He was hungry, exhausted, or really didn’t have the time, to minister to the sick. He placed an importance on their lives that was higher than His own desires or needs.
Spending time with the Father. Jesus many times withdrew Himself to spend quiet and personal time with His Father. It was in those moments that He received strength and direction to follow through with His mission in life: reaching the lost. It is absolutely necessary that we spend exclusive time with God, not only on Sunday mornings but during the week as well. It is from that time that we are built up and prepared for God’s plan in our lives.
When we look at the things our Savior focused on during His 33 years here, it is easy to see He had an eternal mindset. Everything He did He did for the gain of the Kingdom of Heaven. So we must ask ourselves, do our goals have eternal value, similar to Jesus’, or are they solely focused on ourselves and how we can get ahead? Our time spent here is but a blip in eternity, to put all of our time and energy on goals set to produce only Earthly works could cause us to miss out on all that God has planned for us during our lives on Earth.
