We can truly live a meaningful life under the guidance of Jesus. The three words that will help us achieve this objective are service, sacrifice, and sharing.

Someone once said: “We spend the first quarter of our lives learning how to live. The second quarter is spent on making a living. The third quarter is spent finally on living. The fourth quarter is spent preparing for life everlasting.” We can spend our whole lifetime just learning how to live, or just making a living, and we never really live and never prepare for our journey to eternal life. Jesus gives us a checklist to make sure that we are living.

So, when do we begin to truly live? When we become a disciple of Someone greater than ourselves. Without a Master, we end up proud, shallow, and empty. With a Master, we can truly live a meaningful life. Service, sacrifice, and sharing can make us truly live.

Service. It is our rent for staying in this world. Payback time, please! The Lord tells us: “Whoever finds his life will lose it; whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Sacrifice.  “The world behind me, the cross before me.” This line from a song sums up what following Christ is all about. There is a cost of discipleship – that of denying oneself and giving up one’s comfort zone. The “extra mile” is where a disciple’s journey begins, and it is there, too, where grace abounds.

Sharing. Saying “yes” to God means saying “no” to what the world treasures. We have a choice to live a life for ourselves, or a life for God and for others. There is a joy that this world cannot give for those who share in obedience to the will of the Master. All the service, sacrifice, and sharing we do as disciples must be done with sincerity, with a smile, and with secrecy.

Sincerity. We must be disciples with a sincere and genuine heart. Everything that we do must be God’s agenda, not ours.

Smile. God loves a cheerful giver, and God loves a grateful disciple who is willing to give an “extra smile.” The most effective disciples work hard, but the efficacious ones are those who know how to be humble and joyful.

Secret. True disciples are the ones who listen to God in silence, and who speak their truth quietly, with no desire for recognition.

So, what are you doing for the rest of your life? Meet the Lord halfway! Your mission is not yet accomplished. Make the rest of your life the best of your life. Be a disciple, for always, and in all ways. How? Ask the Lord. He will tell you. (Jerry M. Orbos/SVD)