What are you living for?

Green Pastures By Pastor T.O. Banso

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I once read the story of a young communist student in West Berlin, Germany trying to escape to East Germany with some secret files he had stolen. Unfortunately, he was shot. Before he died, he said to the soldiers, "I am dying for communism, what are you living for?"
You may not like that young man because of the cause he died for but what I want to emphasize is that question he asked: "What are you living for?"
What are you living for? Are you living for what is eternal or what is ephemeral? Are you living for what is sinful or what is holy? Are you living for what will take you to heaven or what will send you to hell fire? Rom 2:7-8 says, "He   [God] will give eternal life to those who persist in doing what is good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and practice evil deeds." (NLT) Are you living for God or for yourself? The consequences of both are in that Scripture you've just read. Read it again please.
What Enoch lived for     At 65 years, Enoch decided to walk with God and walked with Him for 300 years. When he was 365years old, he had a supernatural translation. (Gen 5:21-24) Enoch lived for God.
Methuselah lived 969 years and died. He was the oldest man that ever lived in the Bible but nothing concrete was said about him. (Gen 5:25-27) We don't know how he lived. But of what essence is a long life that is not lived for the right purpose? What is important is not how long you live. What God will ask you at the end of your life on earth is: "What did you live for?" It's true God has promised you long life. "With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation." (Ps 91:16 ASV) But what God will ask you ultimately is: Did you live for me? Did you live for the purpose for which I created you?
What Esau lived for
Esau lived for food and sold his birthright! He satisfied his material desire and lost a sacred inheritance. (Gen 25:31-34) The Book of Hebrews described Esau as a profane person because of his disrespect for his inheritance. "Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears." (Heb 12:16-17 NKJV) He must have been ashamed of himself later for what he lived for. Jesus later taught us not to live by food alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. (Lk 4:4) Jesus was actually quoting from Deut 8:3: "…people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the LORD." (NLT) Don't live for food! There is a purpose God created you for on earth. Your salvation is to bring you to discover and fulfill this purpose. Rom 8:28 says that those who love God are called according to His purpose.
What Joseph and Paul lived for
Joseph was a young man with a divine purpose. Unlike many youths today, he refused to live for sexual immorality. He lived for God. He lived to see the fulfillment of God's plan for his life. Because of the fear of God Joseph had, he told his seducer, Mrs. Portipha: "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Gen 39:9 NKJV)
The apostle Paul was also a man who lived for God, the same way he had lived for the devil before his conversion. "For when I tried to keep the law, I realized I could never earn God's approval. So I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ. I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal 2:19-20 NLT) Paul was a God addict!
I have shown you the examples of these Bible characters to make your decision. What example will you follow? The example of those who lived for God or those who didn't live for God? Will you be a God addict or a drug addict? A sin addict or a holiness addict?
What Jesus lived for
Look at the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. At age 12, he already knew what to live for and he was in the temple discussing deep questions with the religious teachers. He told Mary, his earthly mother and those looking for him: "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" (Lk 2:49 NKJV) He spent the next 18 years preparing for the purpose God sent him to the earth to fulfill. At the age of 30, he started his ministry. He got 12 people, his disciples, around Him. He invested himself in them and died about three years later. Over two thousand years after, the work he began is still continuing. How true that statement is that the worth of a life is not in the duration but in the donation! What are you living for?
Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth." (Mark 1:38 NKJV) Take note of that phrase: for this purpose I have come forth. He knew the purpose for which he came to the earth and would not allow any distraction or delay. For what purpose were you born?
Jesus knew the right thing to live for and he lived for it. He lived for what is eternal not for ephemeral purposes. Eventually, he went to the cross to die for your sins and my sins saying, "But for this purpose I came to this hour." (John 12:27 NKJV) What is your own purpose? Jesus' life was driven by divine purpose. Jesus did not live on earth for his personal enjoyment. He did not live to pursue a selfish ambition. He didn't do a self-fulfilling ministry (a ministry that satisfies only the emotions and interest of the leader.)
1John 3:8 tells us again part of the purpose Jesus lived for. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (NKJV) What purpose are you living for?
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, kindly say this prayer now: "0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God"
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be.