Your Life Matters, Whether You Believe It or Not
Our life is not about aimless wanderings.
Every single person on the planet has purpose and mission. Regardless of situations or circumstances, God has plans for each of us. Some of you may be saying, "I’m not sure why God created me; after all, I’m just an ordinary person. There’s nothing really special about my life."
At times it’s o.k. to think this way; in fact, the Apostle Paul encourages us to "be honest in your estimate of yourselves (Romans 12:3, TLB)." But even though we may not see the indelible mark that we make in this life, God makes sure it happens anyway!
My point is simply this: never underestimate the value or importance of your life. Your life matters, whether you believe it or not! A good illustration of this is my wife’s and my friend in Oklahoma City - LaDonna Meirs.
LaDonna has been serving the Lord most of her life. She is a caring person with much passion for people and their needs. During one of our trips to Oklahoma City we got a chance to visit with LaDonna. At that time she was experiencing some rough spots in her life; nothing major, just ordinary struggles. In our conversation I heard in her voice some questioning of her life’s purpose and mission. She wondered if all her years in serving the Lord had really mattered.
When we returned home to Alabama I shared my concern about LaDonna. Kim (my wife) shared with me the story of her sister Glenda’s relationship with LaDonna over the years. Glenda and LaDonna had always been good friends; even though they didn’t see eye-to-eye about the Lord. LaDonna would often extend a warm invitation to Glenda to meet her at church, a small fellowship where members of both Glenda’s and LaDonna’s family attend together. Glenda never seemed interested.
LaDonna’s love for Glenda translated into seven (7) long years of intercessory prayer. She hoped that Glenda would one day give her life to Jesus. As time went on, LaDonna finally grew weary in her weekly prayers for Glenda; so much so, that she actually stop praying for Glenda.
Two weeks went by and then something happened. Out of the blue, Glenda calls LaDonna on the phone with some exciting news. She had just given her life to Christ and wanted to attend church where LaDonna went. Unable to contain her excitement, LaDonna asked Glenda to please hold on the line for just a minute. In the background Glenda heard LaDonna shouting for joy and praising God for Glenda’s salvation! When LaDonna returned to the line, she told Glenda in a calm peaceful manner, "I’m looking forward to seeing you in church this next Sunday."
Little did LaDonna realize that her prayers for just one person set into motion "concentric rings of ministry" that still flow today, impacting the lives of thousands of people. Since that time approximately 200 people have come to the Lord. This included my wife’s entire family in just one year!
Three people have entered into full-time Christian ministry. Two non-profit Christian organizations have been formed. Two churches have been planted. A coalition of hundreds of churches involving thousands of Christians worked together in a city-reaching movement that still continues to impact an entire community for Christ.
The Lord, through LaDonna’s simple mission in life, orchestrated all of this. Who knows what else has happened or will happen? I had a chance to write all of this down and send it to LaDonna. When she read it, her eyes were opened to the reality and value of her life’s purpose and mission.
Remember, your life matters because God makes sure it does.
Tomorrow morning when you get out of bed, pray this simple prayer: "O.K. God, what have you got planned for us to do today?" Then go out there and watch what happens. You might be very surprised.
