What is Important

I used to believe I was living a good, respectable life. I worked hard, built a career I was proud of, and surrounded myself with the comforts I thought I deserved. I married, bought a nice home, filled it with things that made life feel successful. I gave to charity when it was convenient. I went to church—sometimes—when my schedule wasn’t too full or when I felt like I needed a spiritual tune‑up.

Deep down, I assumed that was enough. After all, I wasn’t a bad person. I figured God graded on a curve.

But Jesus once said, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Mark 8:36). I had gained plenty… but I never stopped to consider what my soul was becoming.

One afternoon, I was driving to meet a few friends. My phone buzzed with notifications, and I glanced down—just for a moment. That moment was all it took. Everything went silent. Everything went still.

Before I understood what had happened, I found myself standing in a place I never expected to be so soon.

I was ushered into the presence of God.

There was no hiding. No excuses. No pretending. Every motive, every half‑hearted prayer, every time I treated God as an accessory instead of Lord—it all stood exposed. I waited for reassurance, maybe a reminder of the good I had done.

Instead, I heard the words Jesus warned about long ago:

“I never knew you.”

(Matthew 7:23)

Not because God had forgotten me, but because I had never truly given Him my heart. I had known about Him, but I had never surrendered to Him. My faith was a habit, not a relationship. My religion was a routine, not a rebirth.

Now, I stand in the reality I never imagined would be mine. The life I lived—the one I thought was “good enough

”—wasn’t built on knowing Christ. And now, I await my fate.

My story isn’t written to frighten, but to warn. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father” (Matthew 7:21). A life filled with good things is not the same as a life filled with God.

I had everything… except the one thing that mattered.

Think about it

•             What does it truly mean to “know” Jesus rather than simply know about Him?

•             Are there areas of your life where you give God the leftovers instead of the first and best?

•             If you stood before God today, what would your relationship with Him reveal?

•             What steps can you take now to deepen your walk with Christ while there is still time?

•             What are you going to do about it?