The Important Work

The things that have always been important: to be a good man, to try to live my life the way God would have me, to turn it over to Him that His will might be worked in my life, to do my work without looking back, to give it all I’ve got, and to take pride in my work as an honest performer. —Johnny Cash 

The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what He tells you. And that’s it. —Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 THE MESSAGE 

What is truly important? 

There’s no shortage of experts ready to answer that question for us. In fact, entire industries are devoted to it. Live your truth. Build your brand. Look your best. Invest wisely. Exercise. Eat well. Work hard. Play hard. Dream big. 

Certainly no one would argue that it’s important to be a good spouse. And a good parent. And a good son or daughter. And a good sibling. And a good friend. And a good worker. And a good neighbor. And a good citizen. 

Each of us could probably add at least a dozen more truly important things to this list. And that creates a dilemma. With so many important things demanding our attention, how can we give them the emphasis they deserve? 

Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes and one of the wisest men who ever lived, had the answer: fear God and keep His commandments. In everything we do. 

To fear God is to give Him His deserving place in our lives. To put Him at the center of everything we do. To make His commandments our highest priority. When we do that, God blesses our efforts beyond our wildest dreams. 

That’s how we manage the important things in our lives: we aim to please God in each area. Period. When we make His will our priority, He manages the rest. 

For example, we put God at the center of our parenting by introducing our kids to His Word. We show them what it looks like to love God and love others. We help them understand that discipline is a part of that love. We hold them to high standards but are quick to offer forgiveness and grace. 

We put God at the center of our work by investing it with the integrity that Johnny Cash talked about. We use the gifts God has given us and give Him credit for them. We refuse to give less than our best effort. We put the needs of coworkers, clients, and customers ahead of our own. We go the extra mile. We make ourselves essential through the quality of our work and the spirit of service we bring to the job. 

When we make honoring God our priority, we weave a thread of integrity through every important thing in our lives. We lessen the pull of unhealthy influences. We keep our competitive nature in check. We reduce the temptation to cut corners for success. 

When we make honoring God our priority, we can strike the proper balance between pride and humility. We can look on with justifiable pride at the things God has accomplished through us. But by keeping Him first, we maintain the humility that is essential to our spiritual well-being. 

Heavenly Father, I want to please You and do Your will. That’s my motivation. Please help me keep that focus and show me ways to do Your will in every area of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

This is an excerpt from Walking the Line: 90 Devotions of Truth and Hope Based on the Faith of Johnny Cash – a new devotional now available on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.