For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. {Philippians 1:21}
How do you define living for Christ? Do you live for Him, desiring and asking His input in your life every moment of the day? Or, do you live your life asking for His blessings and grace, and to make all of your decisions work out for you? There is a difference.
For many years I thought I lived for Christ, but didn’t really live for Him. I mean, I was a Christian and went to church, said my prayers in the morning and in the evening, but I really didn’t live for Him. I lived for myself. I had my hopes and my dreams and my plans, and I pursued after them. I didn’t ask God what His plans were for me and what He wanted me to do. I made my plans and asked for His blessings in the interim. If things weren’t going well at work I asked Him to work things out for me. If I had a desire for a better position at work I asked Him to give it to me. When I wanted to own a house I told Him the kind I wanted and He granted it to me because I asked Him to give it to me. But I never thought of saying, “Do you have any plans for me Lord, and if You do, what are they?” I never thought to even ask and say, “Where do you want me to live? What kind of house do you want me to live in?” No. I never asked those questions, but if you asked me if I lived for Christ I would have emphatically and without hesitation told you that I did. I would have told you I am a Christian and I am faithful in my prayers and in my attendance in church. I even led the worship service and taught in the Sunday school. But when it came to making my own plans, I didn’t ask God what He thought. All I did was ask Him to bless my plans. I didn’t ask what He thought of them or even if they’re in His will at all.
It’s a scary thing to ask God what He thinks of our plans, or what kind of house we should live in. Well, think of it, what if the kind of house you want to live in is a big humongous house that you can’t really afford, but you believe that this is what will make you happy? You know and believe right away that surely God will say no to your request so you don’t even bother asking Him, because you already know the answer. That’s the problem I’ve come to realize these days. We assume so much what God will say or think about our plans, that we run away from talking to Him about them. We think He’ll never understand what we really desire, but yet we want His blessing. So what we do to get his blessings is go to church, sing His songs, sit through sermons, do good works, say prayers for others and for ourselves. But when it comes to being really honest about what He really desires from us, we’re mums-the-word about it. We pretend it’s not an issue at all. Many of us are so confident about God’s love for us that we have no qualms at all asking Him to come and bless our endeavors in this life. We don’t even question our motives, whether they are good in His eyes or not. We desire, we ask, and we expect. Period. We don’t ask what He thinks about it but we demand and expect Him to bless us. We never ask Him if it’s any good or if it’s in His will at all, but we just flat out ask for His blessing and expect it. Then after God gives us our desires and our requests, if they turn out to be terrible many of us blame Him. We think it was His doing and not ours at all. It’s His fault and not our fault. God does bless us because it’s what we asked from Him, even if He sees it’s not going to make us happy in the end.
I remember when I wanted this house I saw on the Internet few years ago. I so wanted it even before I saw it in real life that I asked the Lord right there and then, to give it to me. Actually, I didn’t ask Him, I told Him. I told Him to give it to me. I didn’t say, “Father, if it’s good with You can You please give me this house?” Nope. I told Him I wanted it and to give it to me. Well, He did. He gave me that house. It’s proof that what you want from God you will often get if you tell Him you want it. We saw the house in real life, made the offer, and moved in. On the second day I was settling in the house and I was having a cup of tea in the dining room. I knew right then that this really wasn’t the house for me. I even wrote it down in my journal. I had this feeling too that it was going to be some time before I find myself in a house that I would love coming home to. Now I’ve been in this house for almost ten years, and I do thank God for providing and giving me this house. But I’m learning there is a difference between living for Christ and really living for Christ. Living for Christ in a way that is truly in His will means that I will ask what He thinks of my desires and my dreams. I will ask Him to give to me what He sees and knows will really make me happy, and not insist on my own ideas. I will not insist on what I want because He alone knows down the road what will happen, whether I will truly like a place or not. From the picture of the house on the Internet and from the outside I thought the house would really make me happy. But when I started to put my furniture together and started to settle down and put my stuff in their respective places, I started to mourn. Then when I sat down and had cup of tea I realized the house is too dark for me. The windows I was sitting near faced north, and somehow the sun is always at an angle when it shines into the house so that it’s never really bright. I was born in the Philippines where the sun is everywhere and even though I came here to America at only 13 years old, I know how important the sun shining inside your home is. It means a lot to me. I wanted a bright and airy house. Not this. But I thought it was going to be bright and airy because it was the biggest house I’ve ever lived in or owned so far. Who can know all this except the Lord? Who would’ve known that when the dust settles and I’m all relaxed in my new environment, that it would turn out that I wouldn’t really want the house after all.
Now I’m learning to ask Him the right questions beforehand. I am learning to be mindful of getting Him involved in my wishes and desires and my dreams and goals. I’ve come to understand now and trust in His judgment that He alone knows what will truly make me happy. Since He loves me so much He will definitely give me what is best for me. I mustn’t insist on what I want but ask and desire what He thinks of my plans. I must let Him guide me and direct me to what is good in His eyes, not what is good in my eyes. I must go to Him for His plans for me, not for the plans I have set up for myself. In short, I must wait on His directions and desire constantly for His opinion, looking to Him for everything. This is what I’ve come to understand about living for Christ.
That’s why I asked, “Do you really live for Christ or do you think you live for Christ?” There is such a difference. I’ve found truly living for Christ is very fulfilling because we go to Him all the time and He comes back and meets us. He counsels us to do what is right and good before Him. He never leads us astray but always to the truth. Since He knows us in and out and our make-up from before we were even born, there is nothing that escapes His understanding about us. He knows what will truly makes us happy.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. {2 Corinthians 10:5}
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. {Galatians 2:20}
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. {Luke 9:23}
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You Lord, for Your undying love for me. I thank You that You never get weary of me or get tired of me. Your compassion is new for me every morning. Your mercy endures for me forever. I love You Lord Jesus. I thank You so much Savior for Your wonderful grace and mercy upon me today.
Father, please Lord, save me and help me to bring my heart and my thoughts to You. Help me to truly live my life for You by getting You involved in my decision making, always asking for Your counsel and always desiring Your perfect will in my life. You are faithful Lord and will never lead me astray. You will lead me and guide me to Your truth. I pray all these things in Your sweet and lovely name, Jesus. Thank You Father. Amen.
Repost from April 2018: To Live For Christ
