“If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 
1 Corinthians 15:32

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It’s hard to see anything else but “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die,” in Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians. But of course, in today’s verse he is reminding us that we do have more than human hopes. We have hope in our Savior, who died and then rose from the dead so that we can live eternally with Him. Knowing our eternity is in Heaven, how should we live here on earth? It can be overwhelming to think about what we could possibly do in this earthly life to build treasure in our Heavenly one. Or maybe it feels pointless to toil in this life when we know we have a Heavenly one. But I believe God has purposes for each of us—our earthly life matters.

At the start of the year, my pastor asked me, “If there’s one word that describes your focus for spiritual growth this year, what would it be?” I answered, “Overflow.” Last year, I found myself in a season of true exhaustion inside and out. I worried about how I could serve God, my family, and my church well during a time like that. A friend and spiritual mentor encouraged me to fill more and more of my moments with Jesus. Just like when we’re happy and spread cheer or when we’re passionate and inadvertently inspire others, he spurred me to fill my time with prayer, devotion, musical worship, and solitary moments with Jesus.  This way, if someone asked me a question about God, if an opportunity to share the Gospel arose, if a loved one in crisis needed support, or if I needed to process something hard, I wouldn’t have to dig around for hope, peace, or clarity, it would just come out of the overflow of all of those moments with Jesus. Because whatever heavenly currency I may be able to generate here on earth, it will always be through the work Jesus might do in or through me.

Many of us are called to professions, ministries, or ideas, but often there’s insecurity, uncertainty, or failures. I have hope that if our primary focus is on moments with Jesus, opportunities to live out the purpose God intends for each of us on earth will overflow out of the effort. And the best part, we get to live an earthly life filled with the sweetness of feeling close to Jesus, because whatever else He intends for our earthly lives, I believe our first purpose is that we are His.

Next Steps

• So many times in this life we may not know which job to take or which decision to make. I believe it’s our posture that may matter most in those situations. Here are a few verses that have encouraged me in uncertain seasons: Mark 12:30-31; Colossians 3:12-13; Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 12:1-2.
• Lately, the song “Who Else” has been at the top of my playlist. It’s a reminder of who we were created to be and that whatever purpose God has for us, our first is that we are His. I hope it inspires you.