Investing Your Life in What Lasts Forever

“The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT) 

A thousand years before I was born, God knew exactly when and where I would exist. He doesn’t have me in the place I'm in just to sit, soak, and sour. He wants me to follow him with an active faith. Jesus used words like come, follow, go, obey, send, and do when he spoke to people. 

For example, Jesus said, “Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15 NCV). He didn’t say go only to the places that are comfortable for me, sharing the parts of the Bible I like. He said, “Go everywhere . . . to everyone!” 

So how do I become a part of God’s work in my corner of the world? What matters is not my ability but my availability. God is looking to use people who will make themselves available to him. 

The Bible says, “The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT). God’s not looking for superheroes—people with super-talent, super-energy, or super-intelligence. He’s just looking for people with committed hearts. 

So how can I develop a heart committed to Jesus—a heart like his? There are four ways. I'm going to look at two today and another two tomorrow. 

First, I must care about what Jesus cares about. Jesus deeply cares about two things—the world and the church. 

The Bible says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36 NIV). God has never made a person he doesn’t love. He loves the people I disagree with, the people I think are evil, and the people who didn’t vote the way I voted. He loves everybody. And if I want to develop a heart like Jesus, I have to learn to love them too. 

Jesus also cares about the church—which the Bible calls his body and his bride. The Bible says, “Christ loved the church and gave his life for it” (Ephesians 5:25 CEV). This is how much Jesus loves the church, Look at the cross. With his arms outstretched, it’s as if he was saying, “I love the church this much! I’m willing to shed my blood and die for it.”  

Second, I must be indifferent to what Jesus is indifferent to. Should followers of Jesus ever be indifferent to anything? Absolutely. Why? Because not everything is equally valuable. Not everything is equally important. Not everything is going to last. Some things aren’t going to last five minutes. Some will last five years, some 50 years, some 500 years. But some things are going to last forever. I need to invest my life in things that matter and in things that will last into eternity.   

Jesus was indifferent to things that didn’t help him fulfill God’s mission. He was indifferent to personal danger, religious traditions, and the opinions of other people. He was indifferent to timetables, politics, getting rich, and impressing others. 

Jesus focused on God’s mission and trusted God to take care of the rest. As he said in Matthew 6:33, “But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you” (GW). 

In summary:

God intentionally placed me where I am and calls me to an active, obedient faith—not comfort or complacency. His eyes search the earth for people whose hearts are fully committed to Him, not those with extraordinary abilities but those who are simply available. To develop a heart like Jesus, I must care about what He cares about—the world He loves and the church for which He gave His life—and become indifferent to what He was indifferent to, refusing to waste energy on things that don’t last or distract from God’s mission. Like Jesus, I’m called to focus on what matters for eternity, trusting God to handle everything else.

Bottom line:

God isn’t looking for perfect people—He’s looking for available, committed hearts. When I care about what Jesus cares about and let go of what doesn’t matter, I become someone God can strengthen and use to make an eternal impact right where I am.

Next step:

Pick one simple, intentional action that aligns with what Jesus cares about: people and the church. Commitment grows through action, not intention. I need to make myself available today to align my heart with God’s heart. When I do it will open the door for Him to strengthen and guide me in ways I can’t orchestrate on my own.