Do You Work Towards Success or Sharing the Good News?

I am the type of person who likes to focus on one task at a time. I like to master it. And of course with kids, that is just about impossible.

Recently I was deliberating in my mind about how people can know whether they should work towards success or sharing the good news. To be really successful, you have to have lot of focus. You have to focus on money, managing your time, sharpening your skills. But, as Christians, we know that it is not wise to focus solely on success. Our time could end tomorrow, and our money is not what would matter to us. Instead, it would be our family and our eternal security that would be of prime importance.

A pastor I listen to said that he read articles from Hawaii on the recent false missile alerts. People were not running around trying to make more money, as you might imagine. They were running to their families and the ones they love.

But, there is a struggle. Yesterday as I was getting lunch, I was thinking, "I can't believe I have to eat every single day." My need for food never goes away. I can't just decide to stop spending money on food because I always need food. God created us that way. The same is true for bills. Even if debt is paid off, you still need to buy food to survive. Of course, it is much easier when you have acquired wealth, but the need is still there. We are always consuming, and we are always in need of spending. Therefore, we are always in need of money.

As Christians, we do not like to talk about money. Messages get confusing because we see our need for a constant income, but we are encouraged, most of all, to share the gospel. God can take care of us, but Proverbs tells us if you don't work, you don't eat.

So, how do we know what our focus should be? Do we focus on work or do we focus on sharing the good news? Well in my own deliberation, I decided to compare the dilemma with more familiar territory. In our day to day, do we ask ourselves, "should we eat healthy or should we bathe today?" "Do we brush our teeth or do we drink our daily supply of water?" It particularly works best when we do both. We do not have to try to figure out which task to complete. We do it all! The more positive habits we can bundle together in our days, the stronger our lives will be.

What would that look like? In the analogy of a healthy lifestyle, if we can bundle together drinking lots of water, with brushing our teeth, exercising, getting outdoors, eating healthy, taking vitamins, and getting plenty of rest at night, we can be physically strong and healthy. We will be best prepared for our days. In the same sense, if we read the good Word, pray, spend time in fellowship with other Christians, attend church, and serve others, we will be spiritually strong and healthy. In our careers, if we give it our all, and do what it takes with integrity and hard work, we can be financially strong and healthy.

God has created us to be very complex. It is amazing to think how the animals do not have to cook their own food or go to work. We, being made in God's image, get to juggle all of these responsibilities. The more positive habits we intertwine in our busy lives, the more we will be able to take advantage of our opportunities to serve others by sharing the Good News and the more we will be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Thanks for reading!
~Melissa Seng