For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.- Ephesians 2:10, KJV

The older you get, the more hectic life becomes. Your responsibilities, your duties, and your desires grow in number, and they constantly compete for your time. With so many things pulling you in different directions, it’s very easy to make one, or both, of the following common mistakes:

1. Overwhelmed by everything, you don’t know what to do next, so you do nothing at all, or
2. You are always busy, but you are always addressing the most urgent matters (the ones that seem to have the most short-term importance), thereby ignoring the important matters of life (the ones that have the most long-term importance).

How do you avoid these mistakes? By asking yourself the question, “How can I bring the most value to others right now?”

We must remember that Christ did not save us so that we could go about our lives, pursuing our own goals, and all with the comfort that we have fire insurance from Hell. Yes, He saved us from Hell, but He also saved us unto good works. By asking the question, “How can I bring the most value to others right now?”, we take our attention off of ourselves and place it where it belongs – on God and on others.

Sometimes the answer to the question will guide you to take care of the immediate, urgent matter. Sometimes, however, the answer will force you to ignore the pressures of the urgent, put the urgent matter aside for awhile, and focus on something with a long-term impact that no one else will recognize for years. Other times, the answer will seem like you are being selfish. Maybe you need to tell someone, “No, I can’t help you,” which may, on the surface, appear self-centered. But every now and then, you have to say “no” to a request for help, for if you never stop to rest, you will eventually succumb to exhaustion, and you will no longer have the heart or the mind to help anyone at all.

At times you will ask, “How can I bring the most value to others right now?”, and you won’t like the answer. The Holy Spirit that dwells within you may prompt you to do something that you really don’t want to do. But, do it anyway. If the Holy Spirit gives you your next assignment, no other task will have nearly as much impact on others – both short-term and long-term – as that one.