Every one of us has a purpose.

It’s easy to forget that sometimes. We get so caught up in the demands of daily living that we sometimes lose sight of the longer timeline, the broader view, the deeper perspective.

Time is precious. There’s a set limit to how much I have, whether it’s the 24 hours of a day or the total years of my life.

If I was 20, I might think I had another 60 years, give or take a few months. However, average life expectancy is a probability, not a promise. I could live to 100, or I could die tomorrow. No matter how much time I have left, the problem remains the same.

There are too many options for how to spend my time. Will I simply spend it, or will I invest it in something worthwhile?

I want to invest it. When I take the longer view, I know the best thing to invest it in is people.

There are so many ways to do that. Helping when needed. Listening always. Advising when asked. Sharing the good news about being a child of God through Jesus Christ.

The last is the most important thing I can do. It makes a difference right now in this physical world and on into eternity.

Our lives are finite; we’re all going to die. I want my time on earth to be invested wisely, not just spent.

The apostle Paul summed it up well in his letter to the Philippians:

For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know. I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. (Phil. 2:21-23 (NIV))

I want my labor to be fruitful, but what is fruitful labor? The detailed answer is different for each of us, but for those of us who follow Jesus, part of the answer is universal. Let’s tell the people who fill our lives about what Jesus has done for us. Let’s share how belonging to him has made us different people than we would have been and the joy that comes from that transformation.

Are you happy with the purpose you’ve embraced for your life? Will your labor be fruitful?