But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Acts 20:24

Priorities. Paul’s were clear. His life was devoted to preaching the gospel of the grace of God. This endeavor was his life and his joy, even when it meant that his life was on the line.

First things first. Not every Christian is called to preach the gospel vocationally—that is as a pastor, evangelist, or a missionary. Paul’s vocation, not only as a pastor, evangelist, and missionary but as an Apostle, was unique in many ways. The Kingdom of God had only one Paul, just as there is only one of each of the rest of us.

What we do well to take away from Paul’s special life is that we are to live our comparatively common lives with the same determination to run and finish the unique races the Lord has called each of us to, and to do so with joy.

As followers of Jesus Christ we are all commissioned to love and follow Jesus, and to make Him known. But we all do this differently based on who God has made, called, and gifted us to be. Whether a missionary Apostle (like Paul), or a spouse, parent, child, sibling, common laborer, or CEO of a fortune 500 company, loving—following, and speaking about the Lord Jesus is the race we are called to run. Running the race with and for Jesus—regardless of how He has made, called, and gifted us—will give our lives the greatest meaning, and be the source of purest joy.

What keeps us from that is simple. Do we believe it or not?