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For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
(II Corinthians 5:14-15)
When we are born into this world, our life is characterized by the fact that we live our life by looking at what is in it for me. With some of us, that is much easier to see than in others. We don't have to be taught to be selfish, we come by it naturally. Even for those of us who may be raised in a family fully devoted to Christ, we ourselves must be taught the ways of Jesus and to become his follower on our own. Being born into a Christian home or living in a Christian environment doesn't mean we are born with a desire to love God and live for Him alone. None of us come from the womb with that selfless desire. From our earliest age, we set about deciding what is best for ourselves. Even though our parents seek to teach us right from wrong, and even though we may be seen as a fairly moral person, we do ultimately do what was best for us. Our very seeking to be moral is done for the benefit we believe it brings us, not because we are living for God. What is best for us? We may not be sure what that is, but we are sure that no one else can tell us for we think we are the only one in the position to figure that out.
For those who grow into mature Christians, there comes a point in which our life takes a turn that is marked by our starting to seek God. Something is stirring inside of us and we begin to be interested in learning about God. It may be due to a crisis. It might come from an empty feeling even though we get what we are after. Whatever the cause, we hear the gospel message and get a glimpse of Jesus Christ, which begins to change our perspective. The gospel impacts our life and a transformation begins from within. We experience a change of heart. The reason for this change is that in encountering Jesus Christ, we are hearing that what we have been thinking is best for us, isn't what is truly best for us. At first we are taken by surprise. But the more time we spend with Jesus and listen to him, the more sense it is making to us. In Christ and through the message of Christ, our focus starts shifting away from ourselves toward God and to others. Most likely this shift takes place gradually, but it is taking place. What is most surprising to us is to recognize those areas in our lives where a shift has already taken place. Maybe our priorities are changing. Maybe the change is seen in our interests or how we spend money. Clearly the way we interact with people is undergoing a shift. We are realizing that many of the things that we thought were best for us were not best. We may not even realize it, but through each choice we make, we are learning to live for God one step at a time.
As we grow in our knowledge and love of Christ, we find in ourselves an increasing desire to see God's will done on earth. We encounter Jesus in the Scriptures revealing that he only did the will of his Father while he walked in flesh on this earth. Christ submitted to the Father's will, rather than demanding his own will by going to the cross for our sins. In teaching his disciples to pray, Jesus says that we are to pray that God's will be done here on earth as it is done in heaven. When we pray the words of that prayer, we find ourselves saying that our deepest desire is for God's will to be done on earth. We don't have to look around very far to see that it is not being done. This world does not know the will of God, nor does it seem interested. If only they could hear and respond to the gospel message of our Lord just as we have it is the desire in our heart. The more we pray and reflect on Jesus? life and his calling to us as his followers, the stronger our desire to see people living for God. At the same time, God is working within us, showing that there is still more to be done in our lives. It may dawn on us slowly or it may come to us suddenly, but at some point we must realize that for God's will to be done on earth it must be done in us and by us. Our prayer increases our hunger for God. Our hunger is for deep and lasting transformation. And little by little we find that our life is increasingly driven by our choosing to do God's will rather than pursuing our own selfish desires. More and more, we are living for God and not for ourselves. Sometimes we are quite aware of making choices to follow God's will. Sometimes it may even be a real battle for us to choose His will. Then there are other times when we choose to do His will without even having to think about it for it is becoming more and more a part of who we are as children of God. We look back on our choices and decisions and simply smile, knowing the transformation God has already accomplished in us and knowing that He is faithful to carry it out until it is complete.
Eventually, our maturity is Christ is such that our driving motivation is to glorify God. We love others, even doing well to those who persecute us because we know God's goodness. Should we encounter someone whose faith would be shaken by the freedom we have in Christ, we choose to lay aside our freedom for the sake of the other. We are no longer the person we use to be. Gone are the days in which we live for ourselves. God is faithful and just. God is good. Our deepest desire is for others to know and love the living God whom we have come to know and love. Thus, whatever we do, whether in eating or drinking, in all we do, we do it all in Christ for the glory of our God and Father who is in heaven. Our thoughts, words, and actions all come from the simple desire of glorifying God. We enjoy Him and we have the promise that we will enjoy Him forever. Now we truly know what is best for us, listening to Christ and doing what he says, that is best for us. Only Christ has the eternal perspective we need to live here and now in this fallen and broken world. Only in the power of the Holy Spirit can we speak words and do good deed for others that bring truth and light into their lives. Our hear cries out with an everlasting joy for God to be glorified for He is holy!
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