2 Corinthians 5:15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So many live strictly for themselves, and they are incalculably poorer for it. One reason being in love or being a parent feels so good is that it causes you to focus outward, breaking the self-centeredness. However, living for your spouse or for your children has many limitations, because they are just as imperfect and mortal as you are. In fact, people who live that way are generally totally devastated when that other individual is taken away. That’s particularly true with death, but it also applies at times to divorce or even to “empty nest syndrome,” where the children grow up and leave home. The only one who is truly worthy to be lived for is Christ, because He died for us and rose again and is eternal, just as Paul says here. In living for Him we may and probably will give ourselves to others, in marriage, parenting, or some other form of sacrificial service, but those are just expressions of our fundamental commitment to Christ. When we have that attitude we will still mourn when a loved one is taken from us but not at all in the same way, because we were not living for the loved one but for Christ. Those who have not experienced this have trouble imagining how it could be, but there are countless people who can testify that it is very real indeed. Those with eyes to see and hearts to understand recognize the emptiness of living only for yourself. We are surrounded by examples! Paul is here giving us the perfect, and indeed only real, solution.

I’ve done more than enough living for myself, but from childhood I have known that Jesus loved me enough to die for me, and that has made a huge difference in my life. Even though I was not very intentional in following Christ at the time, I feel sure that it was the love of Christ that enabled me to commit to my wife as I did in a very short time, and that commitment has held ever since 1969. At the same time, I am faced with the statistical probability that she will precede me to heaven, given her considerable list of medical problems. (Actually, she has been and come back once, so she and I both know it will be wonderful for her when she gets to stay.) The thought of losing her is not at all a pleasant one for me, but I am not living for her, I am living for Christ, and He will never, can never, be taken from me. To the degree that I am genuinely living for Him, I will have peace, joy, and fruitfulness, and that is what I desire.

Father, I didn’t expect to write on this, but thank You. Help me indeed live for Christ who died for me, being crucified with Him just as Paul said in Galatians 2:20. May the life of Christ in me draw many more to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!