Key scripture- “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).

William Whiting Borden, the heir of the Borden dairy estate, received a trip around the world as a gift from his parents. So Borden, a Christian, traveled through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe and felt a growing burden for lost people. Finally, he wrote home and informed his parents that he was going to give his life in preparation for the mission field and after making that decision, William Borden wrote two words in the back of his Bible: “No reserves.”

Upon graduation from Yale in 1909, Borden turned down some very high-paying job offers, determined to fulfill the call that God had placed upon his life, and he wrote two more words in his Bible:“No retreat.”

After graduating from Princeton Seminary, he went to Egypt to study Arabic, and during his time there, he wrote these words: “No regrets.” Those three statements summed up Borden’s life: No reserves. No retreat. No regrets.

Some people read that and think, “Oh, what a waste of a life.” But no life is ever wasted when it is invested in bringing people to Jesus. No life is ever wasted when it is lived for the glory of God. A life is wasted when it is lived for selfish ambition.

In the end, when we are before the Judgment Seat of Christ, God will look at all of our motives, which means, it will not be so much a judgment about quantity as it will be about quality, about motives. Why did you do what you did? If you have been faithful and served God with what He had set before you, then you will be rewarded for your faithfulness. But if you have been unfaithful or have done things with the wrong motives, you will not receive that reward. As Alan Redpath once put it, “You can have a saved soul and a lost life.”

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

So it is not enough just to get to Heaven. We want to get to Heaven having done something with our lives for God’s glory.
Imagine for a moment that you have just died and you are about to come before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Jesus is speaking to his angels about you. He then says these words: “She/He served the purpose of my Heavenly Father for her/his generation.”

Will God be able to say that you served your purpose in your generation like He did about David? “For David…served the purpose of God in his own generation” (Acts 13:36). Imagine God being able to say that about you. God was able to say that about the life of David, even though David made some incredibly bad choices in his life that led to long term consequences. However, because David repented each time he erred, his purpose was accomplished on earth as God had designed it.

One of the prayers we should pray for ourselves and others is this; “Lord, may I fulfill every purpose for which you made me. May there be no inheritance left on the table that I am entitled to.”

That is really the definition of success. Success is fulfilling the complete purpose for which God made you. It has nothing to do with wealth, accomplishments, stature in life, or standard of living. It has to do with living a life of obedience to the Father, and when we live a life of obedience to the Father, we will fulfill the purposes that God had in mind when He made you and me.

Today, ask God to fulfill His purposes for your life in your generation so that you can live a successful life.

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, I want to fulfill every purpose for which You made me so that there is no inheritance left on the table that I am entitled to. I want my motives to be pleasing to You. I want it be a living sacrifice for You. I do not want to do things to impress man, I only want to please and impress You. I want to store up my treasures in Heaven just like Jesus said, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:20-21). I want my life to bring glory to You. I want my life to show the kindness, goodness, love, patience and forgiveness of God. When I die and go to Heaven, I want Jesus to proclaim, “Well done my good and faithful servant enter your rest.” Father, this day and every day show me the plans that You have for me so that Your Will, not mine, will be done in my life. In the Precious Name of Jesus, Who showed us how to live out God’s purpose, I pray, Amen.