A phrase we often hear is "the bottom line." It comes from the world of business and finance, where it refers to a company's or individual's cash or asset balance. Usually it appears as the final line of the last page of a report or balance statement, so it is referred to as the "bottom line." It tells you how you stand on the most important aspect of the report--how much money you made or lost.

These words appear in other aspects of society too. For example, a coach may tell his players that the bottom line for their team is the all-important win column, not building up personal statistics or impressing the crowd.

So what is the bottom line for a follower of Christ? The author of Ecclesiastes spelled it out clearly in these words: "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment" (12:13-14). A healthy reverence for God and doing what He says day after day is absolutely essential in the Christian life.

Let's trust God enough to do what He says, no matter how difficult it may be. Then the bottom line of our lives will not be loss, but the gain of God's approval.  — David C. Egner