Movie stars, world leaders, and business tycoons all think they are very important, and nightly news reports would have us believe the world revolves around these people and their influence, power, and wealth. But from God’s perspective it is all nothingness and futility. All of their wars, struggles, and efforts to rise to the top of the ladder are all worthless. And if this is so for the most powerful people, how much more for us? When all is said and done, what is the purpose of everything we do? We struggle and toil all our lives, pushing, striving toward something, some purpose, but what?

In an attempt to find meaning, we tell ourselves that we are doing it all for our children, but what do we teach our children? From us they learn to add zeros together, and thus they inherit the same meaningless futility with which we have lived. All the goods we acquire soon rot, precious moments are forgotten, and money evaporates as the dew. The world keeps spinning and changing as people and kingdoms come and go. The wise will see that “the Teacher” was right—everything in this world is utterly meaningless and has less value than a zero. Yet people spend their entire lives adding these meaningless zeros together.

But when we are seeking first the kingdom of God, it means we have made God’s kingdom the priority in our lives. And when God’s kingdom is number one, suddenly all the zeros after it have meaning: 10; 100; 1,000; 10,000; 100,000; 1,000,000! All the zeros of life are meaningless unless God’s kingdom is first! But put God’s kingdom first, and not only will you find ultimate purpose and meaning in life, but also even the small things will also take on significance.

I come from a long line of preachers of the gospel— five generations on my father’s side. It all started with my great- great-grandfather, August Kolenda. One day as I was studying our family tree, it occurred to me that we know much about Great-Great-Grandpa August and the generations of men of God who followed him, but we know almost nothing about all the previous generations of unsaved ancestors who came before him. It’s as though before Jesus came into the Kolenda family, nothing mattered. The stories, the struggles, the victories, the details just don’t matter to anyone.

Before Jesus came into the Kolenda family, everything was meaningless and worthless—just a bunch of zeros. But that night when Great-Great-Grandpa August heard beautiful music coming from a church, went inside and sat down on the back row, heard the gospel, and made a decision to live for God’s kingdom, suddenly something of value entered into our family. In front of all the meaningless zeros God’s kingdom became number one, and since that day all the blessings that have been added to our family have become a glorious and wonderful heritage that is worth more than great riches.

The Taylor brothers were both highly ambitious. Both wanted to make a difference. Both wanted their lives to count. The older brother decided to bring honour to the family name by pursuing a prestigious political career. The younger brother decided to dedicate his life to preaching the gospel and went to China as a missionary. Contemporaries of the Taylor brothers would have certainly seen the older brother as the more successful one, but today he is virtually unknown except for his relation to his younger brother, Hudson. Hudson Taylor became one of the most well-known pioneer missionaries in history, and he is loved and honoured around the world today. One brother sought fame, fortune, and power. His reputation, money, and influence have long since taken flight on the wings of time. The other brother seemed to throw his life away serving God in a distant land. But the legacy of Hudson Taylor lives on because, though he was not a millionaire, a superstar, or a world leader, he gave his little life to something eternal.

The missionary martyr Nate Saint once said, “People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives . . . and when the bubble has burst, they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted.” Christianity is counter intuitive. It is a paradox and preaches a message that is exactly opposite the world’s wisdom. The world says, “Protect your life if you want to save it.” Jesus says, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 16:25, NAS). Solomon, one of the wealthiest and most powerful kings who ever lived, tasted all the world had to offer and came to the conclusion that it is all “meaningless.” It is just as the apostle John wrote, “The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:17).

Am I trying to convince you to become a missionary? Not at all. Whenever “God’s will” is mentioned, people automatically begin to think of quitting their jobs and going into “the ministry.” It is so unfortunate that the body of Christ has often been dismembered by class distinctions between “clergy” and “laity.” Those in full-time, occupational ministry have been put on pedestals and are expected to be the ones advancing and representing the kingdom of God while the “normal” Christians are busy with secular enterprises. For many Christians their “faith” is a Sunday morning matter, just one of life’s many associations discreetly acknowledged on their personal profile next to political party affiliation and favourite sports teams.

But in Christianity there are no distinctions or classes. We are all a part of the priesthood, and we are all expected to be about kingdom business. God wants your life to be an annexation of His kingdom on the earth! He wants you to be an ambassador for His kingdom wherever you go and whatever you do. In that sense we are all called to be in “the ministry.”

Do you feel your life is meaningless right now? Are you toiling and struggling for things that will not last?

What has God called you to do? Are you doing it, or are you being held back by things that are ultimately meaningless?

If, so, pray and asked the Holy Spirit, "In my life how can I put the Kingdom of God first?"

Have you struggled in this area and are now moving forward with the Kingdom placed first? Share your testimony below and encourage others.