What are you living for?
A deep question. If we go around and ask people this question, we will undoubtedly get a lot of different answers. I think most people would say something that seems honorable. They would say family, or cite some trendy social cause, maybe they would even say God. Although many might claim to live for something selfless, actions speak louder than words. Do your actions declare that you are living for an honorable cause, or do they proclaim you are just living for yourself?
Living for yourself.
If we look into the world, we see people living their lives in a way that puts self above all else. We live for a bigger net worth so we can buy things that we think will bring us pleasure and lasting fulfillment. When we have conversations, all we can seem to talk about revolves around ourselves. We post the best pictures of ourselves in hopes to win the affirmation and affection of people online that we never actually see in order to boost our own ego. We are so easily offended when someone else does not share our opinion because we are obsessed about proving to the world that we are always right. The list goes on and on. The problem with living this way, and living for self promotion, is that you end up empty, unsatisfied, and usually alone.
Now we all struggle with selfish living in some area, the good news is, God wants to get us out of that rut, so we can actually start living an abundant life.
Living for God.
Jesus not only saves us from the destruction we deserve, He not only gives us everlasting life, He also provides for us something to live for that is bigger than ourselves. He gives us a purpose to life that cannot be found outside of Himself. As we walk in that purpose of living our lives to please Him, we not only are satisfied and fulfilled, we also actually have a more practical and pragmatic life free from the drama that living for yourself will always bring. This is a pretty sweet deal. Living for God is simple but not always easy. To live for God means that you no longer live to please yourself above all else, rather you live to please Him. Pleasing Him starts with setting out to follow in His ways. When we fail to follow in His ways, He is still pleased with us for He is our Father, however, that ought to motivate us to get back up and try again. Let us seek to get up tomorrow morning, and in all we do, please God through obeying His ways. As we do this, we will be fulfilled, others will benefit, and most importantly, we will be pleasing our Heavenly Father.
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
Galatians 6:8
A deep question. If we go around and ask people this question, we will undoubtedly get a lot of different answers. I think most people would say something that seems honorable. They would say family, or cite some trendy social cause, maybe they would even say God. Although many might claim to live for something selfless, actions speak louder than words. Do your actions declare that you are living for an honorable cause, or do they proclaim you are just living for yourself?
Living for yourself.
If we look into the world, we see people living their lives in a way that puts self above all else. We live for a bigger net worth so we can buy things that we think will bring us pleasure and lasting fulfillment. When we have conversations, all we can seem to talk about revolves around ourselves. We post the best pictures of ourselves in hopes to win the affirmation and affection of people online that we never actually see in order to boost our own ego. We are so easily offended when someone else does not share our opinion because we are obsessed about proving to the world that we are always right. The list goes on and on. The problem with living this way, and living for self promotion, is that you end up empty, unsatisfied, and usually alone.
Now we all struggle with selfish living in some area, the good news is, God wants to get us out of that rut, so we can actually start living an abundant life.
Living for God.
Jesus not only saves us from the destruction we deserve, He not only gives us everlasting life, He also provides for us something to live for that is bigger than ourselves. He gives us a purpose to life that cannot be found outside of Himself. As we walk in that purpose of living our lives to please Him, we not only are satisfied and fulfilled, we also actually have a more practical and pragmatic life free from the drama that living for yourself will always bring. This is a pretty sweet deal. Living for God is simple but not always easy. To live for God means that you no longer live to please yourself above all else, rather you live to please Him. Pleasing Him starts with setting out to follow in His ways. When we fail to follow in His ways, He is still pleased with us for He is our Father, however, that ought to motivate us to get back up and try again. Let us seek to get up tomorrow morning, and in all we do, please God through obeying His ways. As we do this, we will be fulfilled, others will benefit, and most importantly, we will be pleasing our Heavenly Father.
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
Galatians 6:8