John Ortberg - Now What?: Gods Guide to Life for Graduates

I believe the greatest moment of your life is this moment right now. Its this tick of the clock, because this moment is where God is.

The God who made the psalmist say,
This is the day that the L ORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it
has made this moment just for you. It is this day,
this moment, not the one thats gone, not the one
thats coming.

People can lose their whole lives by being scared about some moment in the future. People waste years being nostalgic about some moment thats gone in the past. Dont spend your moment wishing you could occupy somebody elses momentbecause it doesnt belong to you, and it never will.

I believe you ought to expect this moment to be the greatest moment of your life. Not because its easy. Not because youre so strong or so clever. Not because its going to be a Kodak moment (although your parents, grandparents and friends will try real hard to make it one), but because somewhere about 10,000 miles away from here, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, there is an empty tomb. And if Jesus is not laying in that tomb, then where is he? Hes right here, right now, because this moment is where Jesus is. And right now is your little slice of eternity when it is fueled with God.

G od gives everybody work to do, whether you get paid for it or not, whether youre a volunteer, whether you do work in an office, at a church, whether you go to school, whether you do it at home, in the neighborhood or in an office. God made us to contribute, to create, to produce value and make the world a better place.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV)

Work itself is part of what God does. God creates, and he made us in his image to do work, to create. Thats a real good thing. And God says over and over again in Scripture, I want you to excel at what you do. I want you to abound. I want you to take the gifts and talents that Ive given you and develop into the fullest potential youre capable of. I want you to discover the deepest passions that are hardwired into you, and I want you to fan them into flames. I want you to make a difference in this world.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.
Ecclesiastes 9:10

The very best thing we can hope for is, when we get to the end of our lives, to be able to say to God, I abounded in the work you gave me to do. It may or may not have looked very impressive to other people. It wasnt perfect by a long shot. But whatever my hand found for me to do, I really did try to do with all my might. I tried to work with all my heart, as though I was doing it for you, God.

He sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
2 Chronicles 31:21

When man loses the sacred significance of work and of himself as worker, he soon loses the sacred meaning of time and of life.

Carl F. H. Henry

Be strong and do the work.
1 Chronicles 28:10

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

We dont work primarily for money. We work for the experience of being highly motivated to do things, of being positive and hopeful. We work for that sense of accomplishment in doing good things. We work for the experience of having an ongoing flow of creative ideas and energy to make them happen, to see them realized.

Work is an extension of personality. It is achievement. It is one of the ways in which a person defines himself, measures his worth, and his humanity.
Peter F. Drucker

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1

E ver wonder what God does all day? Does he just sit around and watch stuff? Is he involved in hobbies? Do they have sack races with the Trinity or something like that? What does God actually do?

Well, in a single word, God works.

The opening lines of the Bible are filled with verbs that describe Gods action. He separated light from darkness. He made the sky and the solid ground. He gathered the water together into the seas. He created plants and living creatures. He formed human beings. God worked at the very beginning. But then after the sixth day, he didnt go into retirement. Psalm 104 says that the universe doesnt run by mechanical necessity. Its run by God.

God makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate bringing forth food from the earth.