Living for Christ in the present age can get extremely difficult at times. Rather than living for Christ, it can be easy to do the alternative — to live for ourselves or our own wants and desires.
Paul tells us in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” It should be our desire to follow Paul’s example and be able to echo these same words, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
In our own lives, we need to ask ourselves, are we truly living for Christ, or are we living for ourselves? This is a difficult question for all of us to answer, yet there can only be growth if we are honest with ourselves and then make the appropriate changes.
Breaking the Mold
Living for Christ goes against the teachings of the world. The teachings of the world tell us to “live our best life” or to do all we can for our own ultimate pleasure and happiness. The endless pursuit of pleasure and happiness will leave us torn, worn out, and exhausted.
The things of the world may bring fleeting happiness, but this happiness will quickly fade away, and we will feel empty again. Only in Christ are we given the lasting joy of knowing Him and having a relationship with Him.
The Bible tells us that the “god” of the world is Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4). Since Satan is the “god” of this world, the world’s teachings are not in alignment with the Bible.
The world tells us that lying, being selfish, and immoral acts are all normal or that we should do anything that is “true” to ourselves. As one can see, these teachings do not come from the Bible.
If we are going to truly live for Christ in this present day and age, we are going to have to have a radical change.
When we start truly living for Christ, we are going to break the mold of the world. No longer will we want to live according to the world. Rather, we will want to live for Christ and serve Him with our whole heart.
Living for Christ is no easy task, yet it is something that we must strive for each day. We cannot make a difference for Christ if we are living according to the standards of the world.
As Christians, we are called to stand out from the world. Jesus tells us, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
As Jesus tells us, we are to be the light of the world. We cannot be the light of the world if we are living in the darkness of the world’s teachings and conforming to its rules.
Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
The Lord wants us to abstain from conforming to the pattern of this world and to instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We can be transformed by the renewing of our minds by reading the Bible, meditating on its truths, and applying its teachings to our daily lives.
If we choose to conform to the pattern of this world, we cannot properly live for Christ. Living according to the pattern of this world will only result in a broken relationship with God, sin, and shame.
As believers, we have the permanent indwelling Holy Spirit, who guides, helps, and convicts us (John 14:26, 16:7-13). He will help us walk in the right path if we listen to Him (Galatians 5:16-18).
Unfortunately, if we turn a deaf ear to the Holy Spirit, our hearts can become cold and calloused to the point that we no longer feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit. It is vital that we never let ourselves get to the point where we no longer feel the Holy Spirit’s conviction.
The Father and Jesus have given us the great gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit within our hearts, and He is there to help us live for God. In fact, the Holy Spirit is God because He is the third member of the Trinity.
Therefore, when we are turning a deaf ear to the Holy Spirit, we are turning a deaf ear to God Himself. This is a very dangerous business and a road that is hard to return from.
We cannot truly live for Christ unless we are walking in the Spirit and allowing Him to shape and mold us to reflect Jesus better.
Surrendering Everything for Christ
Living for Christ means that we have to be willing to give up everything to follow Him, including our own hopes, dreams, and desires. Jesus tells us boldly, “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:33).
In other words, we have to be willing to give up everything in order to follow Jesus and serve Him. Christ cannot be “second best” in our life. He has to always come first. Placing Jesus as our number one priority each day is crucial for living for Him.
Whenever we place anything above Christ in our lives, it becomes an idol. Even good things can become idols if we place them above Christ, such as marriage, family, or friends.
While it is fine to be married, have a family, and have friends, we should never place them as being more important than God in our lives.
Choosing to live for Christ is something that we have to do each day intentionally. This means we should be open and willing to go out of our way to help someone else in our lives or help out at our local church, a local ministry, or even just help a neighbor who needs help carrying in groceries.
We do not have to be a missionary or a pastor to live for Christ. If we are Christians, then we can live for Christ in our daily lives. God has trusted us each with our own talents, skills, and gifts, and He wants us to use these things to be able to serve Him and others.
Each in our own capacity has the ability to do great things for Christ, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, financial status, or relationship status. Living for Christ can be quite difficult, yet living for Christ is always worth it because we are serving our great Savior and Redeemer.
Why Does This Matter?
If you have been living for Christ for a while now, you are familiar with the difficulties, trials, and hard times that come along with living for Christ, yet it is vital that you continue to live for Christ even when it’s hard and even when it hurts.
May at the end of our lives, we will be able to echo Paul’s words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
For further reading:
What Are the Marks of a True Believer?
How to Know the Marks of a True Christian
What Does it Mean to Be a Genuine Christian?
What Does it Mean to Be a Disciple of Christ?
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