“But I do not account my life of any value, nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24

          This year our staff Scripture is Acts 20:24. Bill Welte has asked us each to memorize it and each week He asks “who has the verse” in our Staff chapel time.  As we left chapel one week, another staff member and I were discussing how, in so many ways, we DO count our life as precious to ourselves. 

1. Every time I get unrighteously angry, I am counting my life as precious to myself.

2. Every time I want to be heard, because my opinion matters and others need to hear it, I am counting my life as precious to myself.

3. Every time I put myself first, I am counting my life as precious to myself.

4. Every time I take the bigger piece of cake, I am counting my life as precious to myself. 

5. Every time I push myself to the front of the line, or finagle my way to get the last special toy at a Wal-Mart sale, or roll my eyes when the clerk is inept, I am counting my life as precious to myself.

6. Every time I get annoyed that traffic is moving too slow, wondering if they know I have places I have to be, I am counting my life as precious to myself.

7. Every time I refuse to compromise with others, I am counting my life as precious to myself. 

8. Every time I worry, complain, yell, ignore, gossip or… I am counting my life as precious to myself.

9. Every time I interrupt another, I am counting my life as precious to myself.

10. Every time I sin, choosing my way over God’s way, I am counting my life as precious to myself.

11. Every time I chose not to respond to the Spirit’s prompting to share the Gospel with another out of fear, I am counting my life as precious to myself. 

         Every word, every attitude, every action should be a testimony to the Gospel of the grace of God.  That will NOT happen as long as I count my life precious to myself. 

Blessings of Joy, Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick.  In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events.  She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John over 28 years.  She has 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren and 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all.  She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.