Here’s a sobering thought: Your life will pretty much be summed up with three questions…

What did you pursue?
Your life is largely characterized by what you deem significant enough to pursue. You can quickly learn much about a person by what they pursue with their time, talent, and treasure. Your pursuits reveal your priorities and the degree to which you are willing to follow them. People who are passionate about what they want or who they are will leave other things to chase after their priorities. The depth of our aspirations is measured by the degree to which we pursue them. Pursuit always will tell the tale of what is important to you.

For what were you willing to persist?
It is one thing to pursue an interest, but a greater story is revealed for what you are willing to persist. Many people have initial interests, but they are quickly tempered by other competing interests. You reveal what is important by your persistence.  When challenges surface, passionate people dig into what matters to them. Many families will gather for a photo, but the committed family is one who persists through life's challenges and clings to one another. What we are willing to persist in reveals much about us.

What did you promote?
People are willing to champion what is important to them. Proof of that can be found in stadiums around the world where thousands adorn the apparel of their beloved team and scream for their success. There is a reason why family portraits are on office walls and living rooms. There is a reason my “I love my wife” bumper sticker has traveled from office to office with me for nearly thirty years. It’s simple - what adorns our walls, dominates our conversation, and what our lifestyle shares clearly demonstrates what we promote. People champion what is meaningful to them.

After over thirty years of “adulting”, I pray people will know I want to educate in a student-centered way where each student under my care knows they are important to me. I pray people will know that my family is a treasure. In both cases, I want people to see I have chosen to live, imperfectly for sure, a life that reflects the pursuit, persistence, and promotion of students and my family.

One more thing: as a follower of Jesus, our pursuit, persistence, and promotion of Him is above all else. Jesus gives that as the expectation for those who would follow him. Paul shares his passion when he shares, “I have done all things for the sake of the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:23).  Peter shares, not only my feet but all of me (John 13:9). The picture is clear. Disciples of Jesus, amid competing interests, have committed themselves to pursuing, persisting, and promoting Christ above all things because they realize the treasure of knowing Him is greater than any other offerings the world can give.

You know this though, right? You know the emptiness that follows pursuing, persisting, and promoting even good things. You know the emptiness of chasing things that ultimately don’t matter or last (Matthew 6:19-24). The reality is that our hearts long for a purpose and passion that will drive us throughout life and its circumstances. This purpose can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Living a life for the Lord marked by pursuing, persisting, and promoting Him as Savior transcends the temporality of life and brings you into full purpose only found in Him (John 14:6)

So why not begin the adventure? Why not invest your life into someone who is truly worth your pursuit, persistence, and promotion? Many who read this may not understand, but let the one who does cling to what ultimately matters most: Christ and His Kingdom.

- Denver Daniel, President, Open Door Christian Schools
Learn more about Open Door Christian Schools at odcs.org. 
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