DECEMBER 4 – Reading 338

by John Christian Pra | December 4

“WHAT ARE YOU LIVING FOR?”
(2 Corinthians 5:1 – 8:24)

“And he [Jesus] died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” – 2 Corinthians 5:15

What are you living for? This is a question that has haunted humanity from the beginning of time. Part of God’s creative design within humanity includes this search for meaning. What am I living for? What’s worth living for? These questions have been on the minds of philosophers and farmers alike throughout history. Nobody can escape it. 

Thankfully, Scripture gives us clear guidance on the answer to this existential question. Jesus died so that we might live for him, not ourselves. This shows us that there are really only two options for life when everything is boiled down: we live for ourselves, or we live for Christ. And only one of those options brings true meaning to this life we live.

Now, it may seem like there are other options. Some people try to live for the good of others as public servants, some live for generational wealth to be passed on, some live to make their mark on the world. But at the root, all of those well-meaning pursuits are still wrapped up in self. Until we come to Christ, we live for self, but once we see Jesus crucified and risen, our motive changes. 

All I do is now unto the glory of Jesus. 

Jesus warned his disciples that those who seek to save their lives will lose it and those who lose their lives for Jesus’s sake will find it (Mark 8:35). What you live for matters, and without Christ, your life lacks the depth of meaning you’ve been thirsting for. 

Let today be the day where you shift your perspective on what a meaningful life looks like. Not just by trying harder to live for Jesus, but by seeing Jesus, the Crucified and Risen Savior. Don’t live for yourself, it will never satisfy. Live for him “who for their sake died and was raised.”

Reflections:

• What do you believe will give you a meaningful life?

   

• How does living for Christ give your life the true meaning you deeply desire?

Application: 

• Write a list of all the things you want to be known for at the end of your days.
  Will this add up to a meaningful life in the eyes of Christ? Remember: this is not just about doing things, but living with and for Jesus.

Closing Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for dying on my behalf so that I might have life forevermore. Thank you that your death saved me from a futile life and has offered me a depth of meaning previously unimaginable. Forgive me for living for myself and seeing all things as an end for my glory. Help me walk in the light of your death and resurrection so that I might be able to live for you all the days of my life. Amen.