“Begin nothing on earth unless it has its end in heaven; do not walk on a path that does not lead to heaven.” St. Charbel Makhlouf  

Basically, a good rule of thumb is to view all things in the light of our eternal destination. If what we are doing does not lead us to fulfill our God-given destiny, then it is of no lasting value. We are only wasting our time and energy on what will die with us. But if what we are doing benefits us in our relationship with God, then it will go with us into eternity. This is what motivated St. Paul. “Forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)