It's Not Just About Me
January 12, 2021
He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. 2 Corinthians 5:15 NLT
For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.
Romans 14:7 NIV
Most people who fly under the banner “Christian” have a flawed perspective on the reason Jesus came to earth. Yes, He came to die a sacrificial death to save us from our sins. But many people would add to that statement, “and give us a home in heaven.” Certainly, we get heaven as a love gift to us. But that’s not the end goal.
The goal is that when we are forgiven from our sins and receive our new life in Christ we become Jesus-followers who live for Him and live like Him. We no longer live for ourselves. We live for and by the priority of Jesus, and we truly follow. Following requires action. You can’t follow from the sidelines. You are active and obedient, doing the things and living the life modeled after Him. He is the One who loves the whole world. He is the One who said He came to serve, not be served. He is the One who gave everything. So when we are followers, we follow Him into the action, we don’t remain fans who simply cheer from the sidelines. We love everyone, we serve everyone, and we give everything because we follow.
When we are transformed by Christ, we have a new realization. We are suddenly awakened to the fact that we are not islands; we do not live just for ourselves. We now have His heart and His mission as we are intertwined with the world. We realize that our lives are significant for the mission of Christ to be fulfilled. If heaven is as wonderful as Jesus says it is, beyond our imaginations, the kindest thing Jesus could do for us when we get saved is to immediately take us to heaven. If heaven were the grand goal, that would be the wise and wonderful next step. But Jesus’ priority is to transform us and make us like Him, so we can find the greatest significance we will ever know in being a vital part of making His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is in using our one and only lives to participate in His mission of developing followers of Jesus who will find the thrill and hope in Him.
I must not live for myself. When I try to, I am dropping the ball for many who otherwise would follow me to the best life imaginable: knowing Jesus personally and following Him. It’s not just about me. My life with Jesus really matters for others.
- Pray: Jesus, only You have the vision to see the difference-maker for eternity I can be when I stop living for myself. Today I commit myself to live for You and others, not me. Amen.