Live for God

There is a great book that has made it way through the Church from the business world. In his book “Start with Why” Simon Sinek leads the reader to a higher business success by focusing on ‘the why’ of the business. The focus on ‘why’ is just as effective for our spiritual life.

Brethren, Christ died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2^nd Corinthians 5.15-21

Our ‘why’ drives everything that we do, in the world and out of the world. When our ‘why’ is skewed, our life isn’t balanced. We eat because we are hungry, but if we eat because of feelings, we are off balance. That’s just one physical example.

In today’s reading from Saint Paul, we are encouraged to live for God and not for ourselves. In fact, that IS the salvation challenge. It is ‘why’ Christ said, “Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself….” (Mark 8.34) If our ‘why’ is for ourselves, we are not balanced.

When we live for God, we become partners with Him in His work. The main work that God has, is for us to be reconciled to Him and to each other. Reconciliation requires focus on the other above ourselves.

Around every corner we find the need for reconciliation. Our politicians, our workplaces, our homes, even our Churches, are all in desperate need of reconciliation. If begins with us and every relationship. Our ‘why’ should be reconciliation rather than getting ahead.

Give it a try today. Spend the day focusing on reconciliation with those you encounter. Keep your ‘why’ in focus. Spend the day living for God rather than for yourself. Let God bless you for it in ways you may not yet imagine. You just might “become the righteousness of God.”