Who or what are you living for?

Most of us have been asked this question scores of times in church on Sunday. Before you tune me out, take a moment to quieten your heart, consider a few questions with me, and be honest with yourself.

Does your day, week, life revolve around you, your wife, kids, extended family, work, bills, etc…?  Don’t get me wrong, we all have valid responsibilities, and it’s certainly important to care for ourselves. The question is, what is our reason for doing so? Is our focus to provide more “things”, a better car, or a higher quality of living for our families, or are we striving to enable those we care for to be the best they can be for Christ?

Being an effective Christian leader in our homes, communities, and workplaces means evaluating ourselves, (motives, character, desires, goals, etc…), then guiding others to do the same. We are to encourage others to Christlikeness. It’s about making Him the center of our lives, and the reason for everything we do. Some have told me this is “over the top”, “excessive”, even “radical” thinking. But to a God who is jealous of us, sent His Son to die for us, and wants to be at the center of our lives, it doesn’t sound so radical.

Consider with me 1 Corinthians 8:6 (NLT), “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”

That said, do you seek out ways to spend your life for the cause of Christ? Do you look for opportunities to be effective for Him? -or simply forget about Him during the week of commotion in between Sunday services? We are quick to remember and call upon Him in a crisis, but tend to forget to serve Him. We gave Him our lives when we accepted His free gift of salvation, but many have since, knowingly or otherwise, taken their lives back and grown complacent about living for Him first. Is this you?

This post is not intended to encourage anyone to quit their job and seek out service in a third world country. It’s a simple challenge to check ourselves and our motives. We need to dedicate our lives to Christ daily, and commit our ways to the fulfillment of His purpose. We must be certain He is at the absolute center of everything we do. All so His Kingdom may be advanced and He would receive the honor and glory for everything in our lives!

Romans 11:36 (NLT), “For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen.”