What Matters Most: The Place of Love in Our Lives

The Place of Love in our Lives
Based on Rick Warren's ideas, ‘What Matters Most’

Life is all about love
Love is not just part of our lives, it is the most important part of
our lives.

The Best Use of Life is Love
Love can be your top priority, primary objective and greatest ambition. Loving is not just a good part of life. It’s the most important part.
It’s not enough to say “One of the things I want in life is to be more loving,” as if it’s in your top ten list. Rather, relationships must have priority in your life above all else. Here is why:

Life without love is really worthless. Often we act as if relationships are something to be squeezed into our schedule. We talk about finding time for our children or making time for people in our lives. That gives the impression that relationships are just a part of our lives along with many other tasks. But relationships are what life is really all about.
Relationships, not achievements or the acquisition of things are what matters most in life. So why do we allow our relationships to get the short end of the stick? When our schedules become overloaded we start skimming [on relationships] relationally, cutting back on giving the time, energy, and attention that loving relationships require. What’s most important is displaced by what’s urgent.
Busy-ness [not business] is a great enemy of relationships. We become preoccupied with making a living, doing our work, paying bills, and accomplisjing our goals as if these tasks are the point of life. They are not. The point of life is learning to love -- God and people. Life minus love equals zero.

Love lasts forever. Another reason to make loving our top priority is that it is eternal.

Love leaves a legacy. How you treated other people, not your wealth or accomplishments is the most enduring impact you can leave on earth. As Mother Teresa said, “It’s not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters.” Love is the secret of a lasting heritage.

Says Rick Warren: "I have been at the bedside of many people in their final moments, when they stand on the edge of eternity, and I have never heard anyone say, 'Bring me my diplomas! I want to look at them one more time. [;-)!] Show me my awards, my medals, that gold watch I was given.' When life on earth is ending, people don’t surround themselves with objects. What we want around us then is people -- the people that we love and that we have a relationship with.
In our final moments we realize that relationships are really what life is all about. Wisdom means learning this truth sooner rather than later. You don’t need to wait until you’re on your deathbed to figure out that nothing matters more [than the love we have for one another].
Therefore ask each day: “[God,] whether I get anything else done today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving you and loving other people whom it was given me to love -- because that’s what life is all about. I don’t want to waste this day on the non-essential, doing stuff."