What do you want engraved on your gravestone?

"...Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which 
God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" 

- Philippians 3:13-14

It's apparent that God has created us to work for a purpose; we all identify ourselves in our work, whatever it is. But what is my work? What do I identify myself as? Probably the first thing that I would say is that I'm a student training to be a physician (nerve wrecking? just a bit). Sure, I want to help people in need, as any other health practitioner would say, but as I'm reflecting on my true purpose here, there's something more.

Over the span of probably a month, I was asked in three(!) totally different settings the question of what did I want to be remembered as when I died, either by writing my own eulogy or by imprinting my own gravestone. No doubt, I think God is trying to remind me that life is not about the pleasures here and now on earth, because it is fleeting by too quickly. And so over the past month, I've been pondering my own purpose in life. And I've come down to two focuses. One, my life is for Christ first and foremost -- loving Him, putting Him in the center of everything. That is, all that I do (sleep, study, eat, etc. etc.) is for His glory. Kind of sounds weird, but it's evaluating my heart and motives behind the things I do. Am I doing things for my own pride, my own agenda, or do I actively care about what God thinks?  Second, life is about showing people Christ's love by demonstrating His love working in me. But how? It's already a struggle to love Christ, and genuine compassion for people is even another issue.  I know I will be continually wrestling to keep my purpose straight, but I am encouraged to press on as Paul and Timothy wrote to the church of Philippi: forgetting what was behind and strain heavenward towards Jesus Christ.

My hope and prayer is to orient my purposes to Christ, my Lord and Savior, so the day that I am called to heaven, people would be able to see the love of Christ in me. It isn't about my degree, not about my status, not about my grades, not about my reputation, not about me,  it's about Christ-- He deserves all of the glory.