Why Am I Here? - Week 2, Day 2

Day 2: How will I give back?

Question number three that you and I need a compelling answer to is what will be the contribution of my life? Another way to put it is, "what am I going to give back?" You and I were put on this earth to make a contribution. God says: "I made you to help others. How in the world am I supposed to do that? 

There are three ways we can make an impact with our lives, and they all start with the letter "T." The first way that you and I can make a difference is with our time. Think about this. Our time is our most precious resource. It is far more important than money because you can always make more money, but you can't get back a single second of your life. Here is the big question:

How are you spending your time?

I know you have school and homework. Some of you have part-time jobs, others of you are in sports. I know your time is limited, and guess what that is never going to change. We are always going to be busy people. There is always going to be someplace to go and something to do. 

The question is, how are you spending your time making an eternal difference. Too many people waste their lives pursuing things that are here today and gone tomorrow. What will last forever? Only three things. God, His word, and people's souls. 

How are you investing in those things with your one and only shot at life? With everything you do, you need to ask yourself some questions: 

• How much is this going to count 5 or 10 years from now?
• How much is this going to count in eternity?
• Is this worth giving my life to? 

The second way we help others is with our talents. God has gifted you. There are some things that you do very well. How can you use those talents to help someone else or draw someone closer into a relationship with God?

I Corinthians 6:20 says to "Use every part of your body to give glory back to God." 

How are you doing on this one? Are you using what God has given you to advance His causes here on earth? Are you using your talents to their fullest potential? 

The third way we can make an impact is through our treasure. 

Years ago, my mom and dad and my niece visited my wife Christy and me. My niece found a game in the closet that she had never played before. She said, "Uncle, would you like to play Monopoly with me." I just smiled and invited the rest of the family to play along. We gathered around and set up the board. It didn't take my niece and my family long to figure out that I had played this game before. I soon owned all the best properties, including Boardwalk and Park Place. I even had Baltic and Mediterranean. My family was squirming, and I loved every minute of it. 

About midnight, I foreclosed on the last property and did a little victory dance. My family wasn't impressed. They went to bed and made me put the game away. As I began putting all of my money back in the box, a very empty feeling came over me. Everything that I had accumulated was gone. The excitement over riches was just an illusion. And then it occurred to me, hey, this isn't just the game of Monopoly; this is the game of life. You sweat and strain to get ahead, but then one day, after a little chest pain or a wrong change of lanes on the freeway, the game ends. It all goes back in the box. You leave this world just as naked as the day you came into it. 

Maybe that's why the Bible says in I Timothy 6 to… "Use your money to do good, always be ready to share whatever God has given you. By doing this, you will be storing up real treasure for yourself in heaven."

You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead. Every time you give a dollar to the church, those monies are being used to make an eternal impact on the lives of people. You support missionaries, Bibles, ministries. One day you will be in heaven, and people will thank you for being generous with the monies that were entrusted to your care. People will stop you and say, "Because you gave, I heard about Jesus." What greater return could there possibly be on the money you have?  

Time Out:

Today I have a plethora of questions for you to answer. Think these through and be honest. 

1. How am I using my time to make a difference for eternity?

2. How could I do better with the use of my time?

3. How am I using my talent to make an impact with my life?

4. What could I start doing that could help others and advance the kingdom of God?

5. How am I using the money that God has entrusted to my care to make a difference for the kingdom of God?

6. What could I start doing with those monies?