What’s Required to Live a Life that Matters?

Over the course of my life the one fear I’ve consistently carried has been that somehow, at the end of it all, I’ll have lived a life that didn’t matter, that didn’t make a difference in others and in our world. So I’ve continually ask myself “what must I do to live such a life?”

Now I’ll admit there’s no single answer or silver bullet, but instead many factors working in concert with that allows one’s life to matter.

Yet I’ve become convinced that there are two inseparable qualities, a glue that holds all other factors together, that we must possess if we’re to live such a life.

The first’s a singular focus on purpose, a vision of what difference we can make. Singular focus combines our giftedness with opportunity bringing them into laser focus in a way that matters. This singular focus is on others, on a cause, on something bigger than our selves. The apostle Paul says in Acts 20:24 “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me…” That’s singular focus.

The second quality’s a lot less appealing than singular focus but without it our focus blurs. It’s simple tenacity. It’s the ability to commit to a destination then set a course towards it and doggedly follow that course, making corrections as necessary, but to follow it to the very end.

My dad always told me anything worthwhile (singular focus) comes at a price and the price I’ve learned is tenacity, the dogged pursuit of a singular focus no matter the cost.

Any life that matters, that makes a difference, has these two inseparable qualities – the glue that binds everything else together – singular focus and tenacity both of which I pray are in abundance in my life.