#265 CHRIST OUR REASON FOR LIVING 10-10-26
There must be something greater than ourselves to make life truly worthwhile. A man may accumulate possessions, achieve recognition, acquire knowledge, and experience the pleasures this world offers, yet still discover an emptiness that none of these things can fill. We were created for more than breathing, working, eating, sleeping, and repeating the same routine until our earthly days are finished. We were created by God, for God, and to live in fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ. When Christ becomes the center of our lives, we begin to understand why we are here.
CHRIST GIVES OUR LIVES THEIR MEANING.
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Those words reveal the heart of a man who had discovered a purpose greater than personal comfort or earthly success. Paul had known religious achievement, but when he encountered the risen Christ, everything changed. What once seemed important became secondary to knowing the Lord.
Our world offers countless suggestions about the meaning of life. Some tell us that happiness comes through financial success. Others measure significance by popularity, education, physical appearance, or professional achievement. These things may have their proper place, but none can bear the weight of our ultimate purpose. A bank account cannot forgive our sins. Applause cannot reconcile us to God. Human achievements cannot conquer death.
Jesus asked, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). The question reaches beyond the ambitions of the wealthy and famous. It confronts every person who has become so occupied with earthly pursuits that eternal realities have been neglected.
Christ gives us a reason to rise each morning. We can work for His glory, love because He first loved us, forgive because we have received mercy, and serve because our Master became a servant. Even ordinary responsibilities acquire new significance when performed as an expression of devotion to Him. As Colossians 3:17 teaches, whatever we do in word or deed should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
CHRIST GIVES OUR LIVES THEIR DIRECTION.
A life without direction can become a series of disconnected experiences. We move from one desire to another, pursuing whatever promises immediate satisfaction. Yet the person who belongs to Christ has a Master, a mission, and a destination.
Jesus called people to follow Him. His invitation was not merely an appeal to admire His teaching or appreciate His miracles. He called men and women to become His disciples, learning His ways and submitting their lives to His authority. He declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He does not simply offer advice for making life more comfortable. He is the way to the Father.
When Christ directs our lives, our priorities begin to change. We ask different questions. Instead of asking only what we want, we ask what pleases the Lord. Instead of wondering how much we can gain, we consider how much good we can accomplish. Instead of living merely to protect our own interests, we look for opportunities to serve others.
This does not mean that every decision becomes easy or that every circumstance becomes understandable. Faithful Christians still encounter disappointment, temptation, sorrow, and uncertainty. Yet we are no longer wandering without a compass. God’s word illuminates our path, and the example of Jesus teaches us what faithful living looks like.
The apostle Paul urged Christians to present themselves to God as living sacrifices, transformed by the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:1-2). The Christian life is not an occasional religious activity added to an otherwise self-directed existence. It is a life increasingly surrendered to the will of God.
Christ also gives us a mission. He came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), and He commissioned His followers to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). We have good news to share, hurting people to encourage, burdens to help carry, and opportunities to demonstrate the love of God. Our lives become more meaningful when we stop asking merely what the world can do for us and begin asking how we can faithfully serve our Savior.
CHRIST GIVES OUR LIVES THEIR HOPE.
Perhaps the deepest question of human existence concerns death. We can postpone certain fears, distract ourselves with entertainment, and occupy our minds with countless activities, but none of these things can remove the reality that our earthly lives are temporary.
The Christian does not face this reality without hope. Our hope rests upon the historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The One who was crucified was raised from the dead. His resurrection declares that sin does not have the final word, death does not possess ultimate victory, and God’s promises can be trusted.
Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). He spoke these words in the presence of grief, not in a world untouched by sorrow. Lazarus had died, and Martha was mourning her brother. Jesus did not dismiss her tears. He directed her attention to Himself, the One who possesses authority over death.
The gospel is not simply a philosophy for improving our earthly experience. It is God’s message of salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Through Him, sinners may receive forgiveness, enter a restored relationship with God, and possess the hope of eternal life. Our confidence rests not in our own accomplishments but in the grace and faithfulness of our risen Lord.
This hope changes how we live today. We can endure hardships without surrendering to despair. We can love people deeply without pretending that loss will never come. We can face aging with dignity, serve faithfully when recognition never arrives, and continue doing good when results seem slow. Our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
We are not merely passing time until our earthly journey ends. We are living before God, serving Christ, and looking forward to the fulfillment of His promises. The hope of eternity does not make earthly life less valuable. It gives our present opportunities greater significance.
CHRIST MUST BE MORE THAN A PART OF OUR LIVES.
It is possible to respect Jesus without surrendering to Him. It is possible to attend religious services, know familiar Bible passages, and speak comfortably about Christianity while continuing to place personal desires above the will of God. But Christ did not come merely to occupy a corner of our lives. He calls us to belong to Him.
Paul wrote that he had been crucified with Christ and that Christ lived in him (Galatians 2:20). His identity, ambitions, and conduct had been reshaped by his relationship with the Lord. That is the direction of genuine discipleship: not simply adding religious language to our existing plans, but allowing Christ to transform the person we are becoming.
Perhaps we need to reconsider what occupies our thoughts, consumes our time, and determines our decisions. Are we living for temporary applause or eternal approval? Are we investing our lives in things that will disappear, or are we using our opportunities to honor the One who gave Himself for us?
The answer begins with Jesus Christ. He is our Savior, our Lord, our example, our hope, and our reason for living. Through Him, ordinary days become opportunities for extraordinary faithfulness. Through Him, suffering can be endured, service can be offered with joy, and the future can be faced with confidence.
One day, our earthly accomplishments will be left behind. Titles will fade, possessions will pass to others, and the praise of people will become a distant memory. But a life devoted to Jesus will never have been wasted.
Let us therefore live with our eyes upon Christ, our hearts devoted to Christ, and our hands ready for the work of Christ. May our families see His love in us, our neighbors encounter His goodness through us, and those who hear our testimony discover the salvation He offers.
We do not have to wonder whether life has a purpose when we know the One who created us, redeemed us, and calls us to follow Him.
Christ is not merely the reason we hope to live forever. He is the reason we should live faithfully today.
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Lord Jesus, we thank You for giving our lives meaning, direction, and hope. Help us to live each day for Your glory, to love others as You have loved us, and to remain faithful until we see You face to face. May our words, our actions, and our very lives declare that You are our reason for living. In Your holy name, Amen.
BDD
