Invest Your Life in What Will Last Forever
By Pastor Rick Warren
Not everything that is counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.
We live in a world that measures everything—success, productivity, influence. But God says the most important things in life can’t be measured that way. The Bible tells us, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6 NKJV).
So the real question is not, “How much did I accomplish?”
It’s this: Did I live today in faith? And did I live today in love?
You Can Waste, Spend, or Invest Your Life
God gives you a choice with your life.
You can waste it, and there are a million ways to do that.
You can spend it—on making money, having fun, becoming successful, or well-known.
Or you can invest it.
The greatest use of your life is to invest it in something that will outlast it.
I’ve known people who spent their lives climbing the ladder of success, only to discover at the top that the ladder was leaning against the wrong wall. They achieved everything they thought they wanted—only to realize it didn’t last.
So what do you do?
You invest your life. You make it count.
Only Two Things Will Last Forever
On earth, there are only two things that are going to last forever:
God’s Word and people.
Everything else is temporary.
God’s Word will last forever. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matt. 28:35 NIV). So invest your life in it—read it, study it, memorize it, meditate on it. But most importantly, do it. You are blessed when you do the Word, not just hear it.
But there’s one other thing that will last forever—people.
Every person you meet has an eternal soul. Every person will spend eternity somewhere—either with God or without him.
That means when you invest your life in people—loving them, serving them, sharing the Good News with them—you are investing in something that will never end.
At the End of Life, What Really Matters?
I’ve stood at the bedside of hundreds of people as they took their last breath.
In those moments, people don’t ask for their trophies. They don’t ask for their awards or their achievements. Nobody says, “Bring me my diploma,” or “Bring me my gold watch!”
What do they want?
They want the people they love.
Because deep down, we all eventually realize: the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. I hope we all can realize this sooner rather than later.
Given enough time, all your trophies will be trashed.
But what you did in faith and love—and who you reached for Jesus—that will last forever.
Decide What Your Life Will Be About
If you’re serious about making your life count, here’s a simple exercise:
Write out your obituary. What do you want people to say about you after you die?
I’ve written mine. I want it to say:
“He spent his life trying to fulfill his part in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.”
The Great Commandment: Love God and love your neighbor.
The Great Commission: Go and share the Good News and make disciples.
A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will make a great life.
Eliminate the Unnecessary
Once you decide what matters most, you have to make room for it.
We often think we can just keep adding more to our schedules—more commitments, more activities, more obligations—without ever removing anything.
But you can’t prioritize your life without eliminating the unnecessary.
Some things aren’t wrong; they’re just not necessary. The Bible says, “All things are lawful… but not all things are beneficial.”
Never let the good in life keep you from the best. Sometimes the most spiritual word you can say is “no.”
Put God at the Center
Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33 ESV).
When you put God at the center of your life, everything else comes into focus.
You stop running in a hundred different directions, and you start living with purpose
Your life begins to align with what truly matters.
A Life That Counts
Life is not complicated.
We are here to learn to trust God. And we are here to learn to love people.
That’s it.
If at the end of the day you can say,
“I lived today in faith, and I loved the people around me,”
then that was a successful day.
So invest your life in what will last.
Invest it in God’s Word.
Invest it in people.
Invest it in sharing the Good News so that every person has the opportunity to know him.
Because the greatest use of your life is to invest it in what will outlast it.
To learn more about first steps you can take to finish the task of the Great Commission, visit https://finishingthetask.com/take-your-next-step/
