"For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ..."

1 Corinthians 2:2

Every achiever in life has a "bottom line." A bottom line is the primary conviction of a task.

For example, the bottom line for accountants may be the balancing of the books; for those in the medical profession it may be promoting good health; for educators it may be learning; for chefs it may be making culinary delights; for retailers it may be all about profit; for athletes it may be winning. The list can go on and on.

Did you know that the Bible shares that Christians have a "bottom line" too? For Christians the bottom line is knowing God. Everything we say, do, express — every decision made, every activity involved in, every word spoken, every song sung, every prayer prayed, every Scripture studied, every gesture expended — all stems from the bottom-line desire to know God better. This means we should want to be the best grandparents, parents, spouses, children, friends, workers, bosses, community participants and church volunteers for God that we can be.

Bottom-line Christians do not just meet with Jesus on Sunday morning and leave him at church when they depart. They take Jesus with them — in truth, they allow Jesus to take them — into the daily routines of life outside the four walls of the church. It is out of this unwavering bottom-line desire to know and partner with God that all the ministries of the church can blossom. Our nurture, outreach and witness as individual Christians and as a corporate community of faith are all inspired, motivated and maintained by this bottom line.

As you embark upon your spiritual journey through this new year, I invite you to be a bottom-line Christian — one who is in love with the Lord Jesus Christ with not just mental ascent, but more importantly with a heart embrace. I invite you to join yourself with other spiritually minded bottom-line Christians — those who are an entrepreneurial people of faith. As a bottom-line Christian, seek to be involved with God's church. Join a team of spiritual achievers who are not afraid to face the challenges and glories set before them as they devote their energies to helping ourselves and others to know God better. Join with other bottom-line Christians who seek dynamic worship services, lasting friendships, rest for the weary, various adult and youth opportunities for fellowship and study of God's Word, and the creation of new and relevant outreach ministries.

If your soul is moved to know God better, than put away the excuses; church is the place for you. Make a commitment now to attend worship regularly and be a part of the bottom line. Then go and tell a friend, because there is always place at God's table for new members of the family of God. If you look on a calendar, there are Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but no "Someday."

As always, see you next time and have a great day.

The Rev. Carl S. Mesiti is pastor of Niedringhaus United Methodist Church in Granite City.