“As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.” 1 Peter 4:2
The alarm goes off and you get up. Why? Why leave a soft bed to face a hard world? The answer lies somewhere in the combination of duty and desire. Each day as the sun rises and you arise, what are you really living for? Your reason for living determines what you will say and do throughout “the rest of your earthly life.”
Many people live for themselves, and although that can seem fun, it’s not very fulfilling. At the end of the day, eternity begs for something more substantial than, “I had a good time.” Some live for others – trying to make the world a better place. Although this is certainly commendable, working on the world without a focus on God, can bring only temporary good. Peter urges us to live not for our own desires but for God’s desires – His will.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus told us to pray for God’s will to “be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In heaven, God’s will isn’t just the best way; it’s the only way. As Christ-followers, His will should be the only way for us.
So what is this will we are to be living for? Thankfully God tells us. His will is not a mystery we must solve or a hidden agenda we need to uncover. God’s will is that we love Him completely, love others unselfishly, and share His life with those around us. (Matthew 22:37-39 & 28:19-20) To do this, we have a guidebook – His Word – and we have a guide – His Spirit. If we listen, He will lead.
Obey what you know and trust Him to show you what you don’t know. Don’t get hung up on little things like the choice of Wendy’s or McDonald’s for your burger at lunch. Just pick one. Wait calmly. Order kindly. Thank God for you meal. And clean up your mess. Don’t get bogged down in the details of “where” and “what.” God is much more concerned with the “how.”
Ordinary activities will become extraordinary adventures when you live for God. Start your day with Him. Instead of showing God your schedule and requesting His blessing on your busyness, ask Him to arrange your agenda according to His desires. What might have been viewed as interruptions will then become intersections – places where God’s plan for you crosses God’s paths for others. Love Him. Love them. And share His life - by offering a helping hand, handling a business deal well, dealing graciously with a problem, or just listening to your kids.
Don’t waste today living for what you want.
Start living for what God wills.
Pretty soon you’ll find that what you want is what God wills.
No comments:
Post a Comment