How do i live my life for God

1. Living my life forGod – 9th
May 2016
“I havemadeyou known to them,and will continueto makeyou known in orderthat thelove you have
forme may be in them and thatI myself may be in them.”(John 17:26).
God has givenussome veryclearinstructionsinHisWordas to how we are to live forHim. Jesus
summedupa life livedforGodwhenateacherof the law askedHim the most importantof
commandments. We canlearnin Matthew 22:37-40,” Jesusreplied: “‘Love the Lord your Godwith all
your heart and withall yoursoul andwith all your mind 38
Thisis the firstand greatest commandment.
39
Andthe secondis like it: ‘Love your neighboras yourself.’ 40
All the Law andthe Prophetshang on
these two commandments.” We can read of the same teachingthrough Mark 12:29-31.
The command to love Godand one anotherisstatedas the most importantin Jesus’ teaching.We can
alsolearn of the importance thatJesuspacesonlove andthrough same be knownto the restof the
worldwhenwe read John13:34-35), “A new commandI give you: Love one another. As I have loved
you,so you must loveone another. 35
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,ifyoulove
one another.” Therefore animportantlearningforourlife forGodisprioritizedbythe needforlove.
Whenwe desire tolive alife forGod itrequiresus to follow JesusChristbylearingonthe teachingsthat
he broughtto us that we knowas the Good Newsof our salvation.We canlearnthat He tellsusthat we
needtofollowHimevenatthe cost of denyingourowndesires aswe canlearnfrom Matthew 16:24,
“Then Jesussaid to hisdisciples, “Whoeverwantsto be my disciplemust deny themselvesand take up
their cross andfollowme”.
Furtherto above we can learnof some teachingsthatwe needto bearin mindsuchas His exhortation
to care for the poorand needy aswe learnfrom James1:27, “ReligionthatGodour Father accepts as
pure and faultlessisthis: to lookafter orphansand widowsintheir distressand to keep oneself from
beingpollutedby the world”.We are alsoadvised tonotfall intosinful behaviorslikethose whodon’t
knowGod as statedin 1 Thessalonians5:6-8, “Sothen, let us not be like others, who are asleep,but let
us be awake and sober. 7
Forthose who sleep, sleepat night,andthose who get drunk, get drunk at
night.8
But since we belongto the day, let us be sober, puttingon faithandlove as a breastplate,and
the hope of salvationasa helmet”.
In learningmore onlivingalife forGod, Jesus’prayerpriortoHis crucifixionalsoshedslightonour
purpose.Referringtobelievers,He prayed, “Ihavegiven them the glory that yougave me, that they
may be one as we are one— 23
I in them andyou in me—sothat they may be broughtto complete
unity.Then the worldwill know that you sent me and have lovedthem even as youhave loved
me.24
“Father,I want those youhave given me to be with me where I am, andto see my glory,the
gloryyou have given me because you loved me before the creationof the world.25
“RighteousFather,
thoughthe world does not knowyou, I know you,and they know that you havesent me. 26
I have
made you knownto them, and will continueto make you knownin order that the loveyou have for
me may be in them and that I myselfmay be in them.” (John17:22-26). Thisalso made itclear to us
that Jesus’desire isforrelationshipwithus.
A life livedforGodglorifiesGod. We pursue Godwithourentire being –heart,soul,mind,andstrength.
Whenwe abide inChristwe needtoact like Himbylovingothersassaidin John15:4, Remainin me, as
I alsoremain in you.No branchcan bear fruit by itself;it must remain inthe vine.Neither can you bear
fruit unlessyouremain in me”.He alsotellsusin John 15:8,“This is to my Father’sglory,that you bear

2. much fruit,showingyourselvesto be my disciples”. We can learn indoingthat, we bringgloryto His
name and alsoenjoythe relationshipforwhichwe were originallycreated.
Those whowishto live forGodmust seekHiminHis Word.We mustseekthe guidance of the HolySpirit
to applythe Word to our lives.LivingforGodmeansgivingupourselvesanddesiringGod’swill aboveall
else.Aswe drawnearerto God and come to know Himmore,His desireswillmore naturallybecome
ours.As we mature,our desire toobeyGod’scommandsincreasesasourlove forHim increases.
Because we can learnwhen Jesussaid thatif one lovesHim, thathe or she will obey Hiscommandsas
we can learnfrom John14:15, “Ifyou loveme, keep my commands”.