When my wife was a young girl, her family had a plaque on their wall with a wonderful quote. It said, “Only one life will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

It’s true, isn’t it? We only have a short time here on earth to save souls. Nobody knows how long they have left to live. So we must make the most of every opportunity. Because, as that quote reminds us, only things of eternal value will last into Heaven.

The exciting thing is that each one of us has a unique role to play in God’s plan of redemption and salvation. Ephesians 2:10 is a super verse to remember when it comes to our special calling: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

God has placed you exactly where you are, with the talents you’ve got, for a reason! You know people in ways that nobody else does. Maybe you’re the only Christian friend they have. Perhaps you’re the only person praying for them. Isn’t that an amazing thought?

It’s no coincidence; God has put you in certain relationships for a specific purpose. Share your faith and trust God for the results!

If you’ve been with me this week, I’ve been quoting a verse from a hymn everyday. Verse 4 says, “So send I you, to leave your life’s ambition, to die to dear desire, self will resign. To labor long in love where men revile you. So send I you to lose your life in mine.” You know it’s Jesus Christ speaking through this hymn- and it’s very Biblical and very godly.

You know God sometimes calls people to give up their fondest ambitions, to leave behind the dreams that they had when they were young, to reach out to those who are going to a Christ-less eternity and who need to know eternal life, the forgiveness of sins and the love of God.

Sometimes some of us have done it gladly. And no one ever repented if they really loved Jesus Christ, for giving their very best for the sake of the lost. Yes, people may revile you, people may stay out of your path, people may mock you. But if you lose your life in the life of Jesus Christ, you will never regret it.

St. Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ, and yet I live. But it’s not I, it’s Christ living in me.”

When you give your life for the sake of those who are dying without Christ and are lost, the rewards will be tremendous. Not only in Heaven, but even here on earth. I’ve found it so, and so will you.

We all want to reach our world, don’t we? Well, sometimes it can be very lonely. Verse 3 of the hymn I’ve been sharing with you this week says, “So send I you to loneliness and longing, with hearts a-hungering for those we love and know. Forsaking kin and kindred, friend and dear ones so send I you to know my love alone. ”

There are some people who are called to remain single- and some of them are called to remain single and go to a foreign country to give the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes there is loneliness, yes there is longing and hungering to be with those you love and know, yes you want to be with family, with friends, with dear ones, but you know, somebody has to get out there and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I have one wife, four sons, four daughter’s in-law and ten grand children. And for all of our lives, we’ve had to be separated from each other week after week, month after month, year after year. One day we calculated we’d been separated for 15 years, to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But somebody has to do it, somebody did it to bring me the Gospel down in South America, and I love those missionaries who did it.

So yes, there is loneliness, and there’s longing and hungering for those we know, but in the end, the result of people going to Heaven, and knowing Jesus Christ is worth all the sacrifice and all the effort – on behalf of the one who died on the cross all by Himself.

God our Father would love for everyone to believe in Jesus Christ and have eternal life. That’s His deepest desire. And God’s plan for saving souls is to enlist us Christians to be His hands, feet, and voice – lovingly drawing people to repentance and faith in Jesus. Then, God will send Jesus back to earth, bringing all believers up to Heaven with Him.

But sometimes, as year after year passes, the Lord’s return can seem so far away. We may feel that we have all the time in the world to share our faith. So it becomes easy to put off witnessing, until a more “convenient” time, (which rarely comes, by the way). But the Lord will come back, as He has promised. And it could be any day.

II Peter 3 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise … He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Our Lord’s patience means salvation! He is waiting to return until as many people as possible come into the Kingdom. You and I are His messengers – His ambassadors — to preach the Good News to a desperate and dying world.

Will you answer His call? It’s an exciting way to live, that’s for sure!