Living Wisely: Prioritizing What Truly Matters
Summary
In today's reflection, we explored the profound concept of living a life that truly matters by focusing on what is genuinely important. Wisdom, as defined, is the ability to discern what is truly significant and to live accordingly. Our lives are fleeting, and the Bible reminds us of this truth, urging us to live with purpose and intention. The average lifespan is about 75 years, and it's crucial to evaluate how we spend our time. Death is a certainty, and while it may be uncomfortable to think about, it serves as a powerful reminder to live wisely and intentionally.
Ecclesiastes teaches us that it's better to spend time reflecting on the end of life than to be caught up in the distractions of the present. This reflection helps us prioritize what truly matters. Psalm 90, a prayer of Moses, emphasizes the importance of numbering our days to gain a heart of wisdom. Without this wisdom, we risk wasting our lives on trivial pursuits.
We are challenged to regularly evaluate our lives, focusing on the quality of our relationships, especially our relationship with God. It's essential to live with a focused urgency, prioritizing eternal matters over temporary distractions. The Bible tells us that only two things last forever: God's Word and people's souls. Therefore, investing in these eternal matters is crucial.
Designing our legacy is another vital aspect of living wisely. We all leave a legacy, and it's up to us to determine what that will be. By living in a way that reflects God's love and truth, we can ensure that our legacy points others to Jesus. Ultimately, the most important decision we can make is to receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, allowing Him to guide our lives and priorities.
Key Takeaways:
1. Wisdom and Prioritization: Wisdom is the ability to discern what is truly important and to live for it. In a world full of distractions, it's crucial to focus on what matters most, as defined by God's perspective. This requires intentionality and a commitment to living a life that honors God. [41:48]
2. The Certainty of Death: Death is a reality that we all must face, and it serves as a reminder to live with purpose. By acknowledging our mortality, we can prioritize our lives around eternal matters rather than temporary distractions. This perspective helps us live with urgency and intentionality. [41:48]
3. Regular Evaluation: Regularly evaluating our lives is essential to ensure we are living in alignment with God's will. This involves assessing the quality of our relationships, especially our relationship with God, and making necessary changes to live a life that reflects His love and truth. [41:48]
4. Investing in Eternal Matters: The Bible teaches that only God's Word and people's souls last forever. By investing in these eternal matters, we can ensure that our lives have a lasting impact. This involves sharing the gospel, loving others, and living in a way that points others to Jesus. [41:48]
5. Designing Your Legacy: We all leave a legacy, and it's up to us to determine what that will be. By living in a way that reflects God's love and truth, we can ensure that our legacy points others to Jesus. This involves living with integrity, loving others, and prioritizing what truly matters. [41:48]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Introduction to Wisdom
- [02:15] - The Reality of Life's Brevity
- [04:45] - Facing the Certainty of Death
- [07:30] - The Importance of Reflection
- [10:00] - Lessons from Ecclesiastes
- [12:30] - Psalm 90 and Numbering Our Days
- [15:00] - Evaluating Our Lives
- [18:00] - Living with Focused Urgency
- [21:00] - Investing in Eternal Matters
- [24:00] - Designing Your Legacy
- [27:00] - The Importance of Relationships
- [30:00] - The Role of God's Word
- [33:00] - The Power of a Godly Legacy
- [36:00] - Conclusion and Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Ecclesiastes 7:2 - "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart."
2. Psalm 90:12 - "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
3. James 4:14 - "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."
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Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, what is the definition of wisdom, and how does it relate to living a life that truly matters? [41:48]
2. How does the sermon describe the average human lifespan, and what significance does this have for how we should live our lives? [41:48]
3. What are the two things mentioned in the sermon that last forever, and why are they important? [41:48]
4. How does the sermon use the analogy of a gerbil on a wheel to describe the way many people live their lives? [41:48]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. In what ways does reflecting on the certainty of death help individuals prioritize their lives according to the sermon? [41:48]
2. How does the sermon suggest that regular evaluation of one's life can lead to living in alignment with God's will? [41:48]
3. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between living with focused urgency and investing in eternal matters? [41:48]
4. How does the sermon describe the process of designing one's legacy, and what role does reflecting God's love and truth play in this? [41:48]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current priorities. Are there areas in your life where you are investing time in temporary distractions rather than eternal matters? How can you shift your focus? [41:48]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of numbering our days. What practical steps can you take to regularly evaluate your life and ensure you are living with purpose and intention? [41:48]
3. Consider your relationships, especially your relationship with God. What changes can you make to improve the quality of these relationships and align them with God's will? [41:48]
4. The sermon challenges us to live with focused urgency. Identify one area of your life where you can apply this principle and describe how you will do so this week. [41:48]
5. Reflect on the legacy you are currently building. What specific actions can you take to ensure that your legacy points others to Jesus and reflects God's love and truth? [41:48]
6. The sermon mentions the importance of investing in people's souls. Who in your life can you reach out to this week to share the gospel or show God's love? [41:48]
7. How can you incorporate the teachings of Psalm 90:12 into your daily routine to gain a heart of wisdom? What specific changes will you make? [41:48]
Devotional
Day 1: Discernment in a Distracted World
Wisdom is the ability to discern what is truly important and to live for it. In a world full of distractions, it's crucial to focus on what matters most, as defined by God's perspective. This requires intentionality and a commitment to living a life that honors God. The Bible encourages believers to seek wisdom, which is more precious than gold or silver. By prioritizing God's values over worldly distractions, individuals can live a life of purpose and significance. [41:48]
"For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity." (Proverbs 2:6-7, ESV)
Reflection: What is one distraction in your life that you can set aside this week to focus more on God's priorities?
Day 2: Embracing Mortality with Purpose
Death is a reality that we all must face, and it serves as a reminder to live with purpose. By acknowledging our mortality, we can prioritize our lives around eternal matters rather than temporary distractions. This perspective helps us live with urgency and intentionality. The Bible teaches that life is like a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow, urging us to make the most of our time by focusing on what truly matters. [41:48]
"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, ESV)
Reflection: How can the reality of life's brevity inspire you to make a meaningful change in your daily routine today?
Day 3: The Importance of Self-Examination
Regularly evaluating our lives is essential to ensure we are living in alignment with God's will. This involves assessing the quality of our relationships, especially our relationship with God, and making necessary changes to live a life that reflects His love and truth. Self-examination is a spiritual discipline that helps believers stay on the right path and avoid wasting their lives on trivial pursuits. [41:48]
"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Corinthians 13:5, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life that needs realignment with God's will, and what steps can you take today to address it?
Day 4: Investing in What Lasts Forever
The Bible teaches that only God's Word and people's souls last forever. By investing in these eternal matters, we can ensure that our lives have a lasting impact. This involves sharing the gospel, loving others, and living in a way that points others to Jesus. The call to invest in eternal matters is a call to live beyond oneself, focusing on the spiritual well-being of others and the advancement of God's kingdom. [41:48]
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19-20, ESV)
Reflection: Who is one person you can reach out to this week to share God's love and truth with, and how will you do it?
Day 5: Crafting a Godly Legacy
We all leave a legacy, and it's up to us to determine what that will be. By living in a way that reflects God's love and truth, we can ensure that our legacy points others to Jesus. This involves living with integrity, loving others, and prioritizing what truly matters. A godly legacy is not about earthly achievements but about the spiritual impact one leaves on others, guiding them towards a relationship with Christ. [41:48]
"The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot." (Proverbs 10:7, ESV)
Reflection: What is one intentional action you can take today to ensure your legacy reflects God's love and truth?
Quotes
"so often we squander this short life on things that are pitiful and so today I want to talk about how to how to mind what really matters most the word wisdom actually is the ability to determine what's important and then to live for I'm gonna say it again wisdom is the ability to determine what's really important because there's a lot of things out there pretending to be important it's usually just urgent but not important friends to live your life well for Jesus Christ is to determine what's really important and then live for that thing the great news is the Bible has a lot to say to us about that" [00:02:32] (47 seconds)
"and I know that we don't like to talk about death because we're about life right Jesus Christ overcame death he resurrected from the dead and because of that if you know him and you've received Jesus Christ your Savior we are going to be apps whenever we are absent from the body we will be in the presence of God how great is that that's my future right but I'm still a little bit nervous about how I'm gonna check out aren't you because that's the unknown and there's I'm gonna give you five reasons why we don't like to think of our own death are you ready for this first of all it's unpleasant okay that's a no -brainer right but it is unpleasant secondly we're so busy we don't have time to consider our own mortality the good story of the guy driving down highway 280 and his phone rang it was his wife Herman she said I just heard on the news there's some nut driving the wrong way on highway 280 Hazel he said it's not just one there's hundreds of them you'll get that later so it isn't that the way it's just like he was doing the wrong way and all these things isn't that the way life feels like everything's coming at you at once and you're so busy it's even hard to focus right a third reason why we don't like to think about our own deaths is because we live in denial and denial is not just a river in Egypt these jokes don't get any better fourthly we believe in the illusion of permanency you know once you get kind of a habit of life and what you do at kind of a schedule and all that kind of stuff it's easy to believe that you're gonna be around forever but we know that's not true people come people go my favorite group though the fifth one is the super spiritual people they're like Bill Allison I'm not sweating death I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior I know he died on the cross for me and I am going to be eternally with the Lord when I die it's a gateway to where I want to be well I agree with you I everything I just said there I feel that way but I have to be curious I have to tell you I'm a little bit nervous about how I'm gonna check out like the bumper sticker says I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather not screaming and yelling like the people in his car friends you gotta stay here stay with me now we're gonna have some fun today" [00:03:03] (157 seconds)
"the third the third warning death might give us if you want to make the most of your life invest in eternal matters listen to 2nd Peter there's eternal matters there's temporary things and there's eternal things death would say spend your life in that which is investing into forever the kingdom that is coming to us not just temporary things 2nd Peter 3 10 and 11 but the day of the Lord will come like a thief I believe that the heavens will disappear with a roar the elements will be destroyed by fire and earth and everything in it will be laid bare since everything will be destroyed in this way how should you live since everything around us is going to burn you know the old timers in my little church when I got saved at 15 they used to say it's all gonna burn and I thought it was kind of crazy but now that I think about it it is because these are temporary things I like temporary things but I don't want to give my life to those things I want my life to go to what is most important" [00:24:43] (78 seconds)
"so often what we do is we glom on to money or things it's kind of crazy now I'm not against money you guys I'm not against money the love of money is a problem it's sinful but money is not a problem if you use it right I like the things money can buy but I love the things money can't buy money can buy you a house but it can't buy you a home you know the difference between a home and house money can buy you a bed but not sleep money can buy you a clock but not more time money can buy you a book but not wisdom money can buy you a position but not respect money can buy you medicine but not health I like money I love that which money can't buy because that's all the good stuff that's all the real stuff that's all the meaningful stuff mark my words friends in a funeral procession you won't see a hearse followed by a u -haul none of the stuff we have I enjoy stuff we were talking about guitars over here before the service I love guitars I'm the guy who wants to buy more guitars we never have enough guitars right if you're married to a musician pray for all right because that's what they want to do they want to do it so much fun but all that stuff means nothing if we don't live for that which is most important so regularly evaluate your life pause you got to pause long enough how am I doing am I really living for that which matters most or am I just sucked up into the culture" [00:26:01] (110 seconds)
"the last one is this the last one is this design your own legacy now according to the Bible this is interesting according to the Bible only two things last forever are you ready for this only two things last forever God's Word first Peter 1 24 and 25 the grass withers the flower fades the Word of God stands forever so every bit of your life that you're in the Word of God that's really good time that's really matter of minding what matters most but it's not just that the second thing that will last forever is people's souls every person has a soul and that soul is going to be with God if you know Jesus Christ as your Savior or your soul will be separated from God which is the definition of hell and you'll be forever so in the meantime while we're along we're hanging out with the people who are alive here this is what I want to say to you the greatest thing you could ever do is love the love them lean into them God's souls God's souls God's excuse me people's souls last forever so if you were just to do two things I'm going to be in God's Word constantly and I'm going to love people with God's love that would be a great way for you to spend the rest of your life how much of your life how much of your life how much of your life is about loving others one of the most basic God -given desires we all have is to make our lives count God couldn't be more clear about what that looks like so that's why we need to design our own legacy you know what every person leaves a legacy when you die you know what's going to happen I've been in church a long time now someone dies we're sad and then we all go have dinner and laugh think about our friends that departed but they're going to remember stuff about you you know if you've been a big crabby person in church and everybody knows that you've been just a pistol you know some of the biggest lies I've ever heard have been at funerals did you hear what I said" [00:28:11] (147 seconds)
"and then I decided I went upstairs and woke my wife with a kiss and I said come on honey I'm taking you and the kids out to breakfast what brought this on she asked with a smile oh nothing it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids hey can we stop at the toy store while we out I need to buy some marbles father" [00:40:20] (29 seconds)
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