What do you think is the reason for living? We can live to please ourselves, to please others, or for the recognition of the world. However, none of these things will satisfy. All of these reasons for living are futile; they will get you nowhere. I realize how easy it can become to fall into our daily routine and without meaning to, we have lived another day for ourselves. Self-fulfillment is not necessarily wrong, but if that is the focal point of a person's life, they have gone astray. If we are not concerned about other people and winning them for Christ, then we have forgotten the true reason God placed us on this Earth.
Life cannot truly begin unless we are living for something greater than ourselves. I find that this has become a recurring theme not only in my blog posts, but also in my life. I am by no means perfect, but I have tried my best to examine my heart and see if there are ways I can improve. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, but if we aren't doing anything to improve, our weaknesses will remain unchecked. We cannot help others if our flesh keeps getting in the way.
*2 Corinthians 13:5-Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
*Psalm 26:2-Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
Sometimes our hearts need a good, thorough examination. What do we hold most dear in our lives? What is your number one priority? If it isn't to live a life pleasing to the Lord and to serve others, your priorities have been mixed up. God wants to use someone who is concerned about the world around them. There are many ways we can live so that others see Jesus in us. Simple acts of kindness can go a long way. Instead of focusing on how to get through your own day, think about someone else. Become concerned about your close friends, family, and even complete strangers. Send them a text and ask how they've been doing. If you don't have compassion for lost souls, what are you living for? Does every part of your life reflect Jesus? If not, it's time to prioritize the things that are most important to you. If work, friends, school, or family have become more important than God, re-commit your heart to Him. It isn't too late to be sold out to Jesus.
If you're reading this and your reason for living has been for something other than the Lord, you can ask for forgiveness and make a commitment to invest yourself in a lost soul. It's not hard to find ways to reach out. If it's taking cookies to some coworkers or playing Christian music around your sinner friends, you'll quickly see that living for Jesus is the best way to live. You might not get the results you're hoping for at first, but if you keep reaching out, God will honor your investment in the lives of other people. Get involved with your community. Serve the people. Live with compassion. Go above and beyond the norm. Your flesh will rise up and remind you of all the things you need to get done in a day. But don't forget who lost His life to give you yours. We should give more of our time to helping others, rather than exalting ourselves. The reason we live is not to show how great we are, but to reflect how great He is. Remember: "Life begins once Jesus becomes the reason you live it."
*Matthew 16:26* Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.