Begin with the end in mind

Steven Covey wrote a bestseller of the ‘90’s entitled The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The book had many interesting and very applicable principles of effectiveness in it, not the least of which was this: Begin with the end in mind. In other words, know where you want to end up, and adjust your starting point—and every point along the way— accordingly. I don’t know about you, but the “end” I have in mind is to stand before my Heavenly Father and hear Him say these words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” For every believer, there will be “that great, gittin’ up morning” that is judgment day, and on that day, I want to be deemed a good steward in His eyes.

While we are saved by grace, and grace alone, every believer in Christ will be judged. We’ll be judged not for salvation—that is ours in Christ, paid in full—but for stewardship. What did you do with your time? What did you do with the gifts you were given? What did you do with your resources and the precious relationships God entrusted to you? Our motive in all these areas should be to picture the end clearly, and desire to hear our Master say, “Well done.”