If we want to be fully devoted followers of Christ, we can have no motivation other than to continue His mission to bring the Kingdom of God to this earth. We can have dreams and goals, we can make plans and have fun, but if our ultimate aim is not to reflect His glory to a dying world, we will continue to miss the mark. Regardless of what you want to do with your life, if its sole purpose is not to obey and reflect God, you will never find peace and fulfillment. The question we all must ask ourselves is, “What are we living for”?
We say our lives are devoted to Christ, but our activities generally say otherwise. We spend our lives pursuing pleasure, acquiring stuff, and generally making certain that we surround ourselves with as much comfort as possible before we die. If we can help a few people along the way then we believe we are living in a way that will be pleasing to Jesus. Why is it that the One we proclaim to be our Lord is always the last consideration when planning our schedules? We are nothing without Him. If we spend our lives pursuing things outside of how He told us to live, we will ultimately wind up with exactly what we’ve been chasing after – nothing.
Regardless of the situation you are facing, you need to make decisions based on what you can most effectively do to promote God’s Kingdom. What school you should attend, what job you should take, where you will live, or how you will spend your time – each of these should be viewed through the lens of how you can best reflect the love and hope of Jesus Christ. Too many of us are trying to figure out how to further God’s Kingdom from the life we have chosen, but we have it backwards. First we should determine how we are uniquely gifted by our Creator, and then decide everything else about our lives. It all must flow from a core of serving Christ and being obedient to Him.
When was the last time you thought about your impact for Jesus when faced with a decision? We in the West are consumed with living the American Dream. It’s a selfish lifestyle that has absolutely nothing to do with the message of Christ. We make choices based on what we think will most benefit ourselves and worry about God later. What might your life look like if you considered who you are in Christ before making any decision? I’ll give you the answer: your life would look a lot like Jesus.
The next time you are deciding what to do next with your life, remember that you have committed it all to God. If you say that Jesus is the Lord of your life, now is the time to prove it. Don’t make a move without considering its Kingdom impact. You don’t have to go through life wondering how it will turn out. If you truly live for Jesus, you are guaranteed that one way or another, things will work out in a way that glorifies God (Romans 8:28). Put away the selfish ways of life. That’s the easy road. Live a life that means something. Do everything you do in the name of Jesus.
What decision are you facing right now that you have been looking at through the wrong lens? How might your answer change if you considered the Kingdom impact of your decision? You can help and encourage others by leaving a comment below.