Right Order

Acts 17:²⁸ (TPT) “It is through him that we live and function and have our identity; just as your own poets have said, ‘Our lineage comes from him.’”

We need to start living for the things we need to live for. Do not make the things you need to live on the things you are living for. Do not make your car what you are living for or a motorcycle rider will teach you a lesson. That is why you see some car owners after their car has been scratched by a motorcycle rider, act as though their whole life has come to an end. Yes, it is an expensive car, but it is just a car. When we live for the things we should live on and do not live for the things we should live for, we are setting ourselves up for destruction, or for confusion at the least. If you live for the job that you are on, you are living for what you should be living on.

If you live on your job and live for your job, the only thing it guarantees is frustration. What happens if a smatter person comes onboard? You used to be the star at the office but suddenly things have shifted to the new kid on the block. Then you begin to beef him or her, then beef turns to envy and you end up frustrated. What happens if the promotion delays when all you have been living for is your job? Children are fantastic but when you live for your children, you are setting yourself up for confusion at the least. We must live for Christ and Christ alone. It is good to be married and to have a great spouse. But if you live for your spouse, you are setting yourself up for confusion. It is not that something is wrong with marriage or with your spouse, but they are not to be lived for.

There is a woman in the Bible, Leah, she wanted her husband’s affection so bad that she began to live for it. Gen.29:^32-34 “So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.” She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.” Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi, for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!” Her husband collected the boys and still disdained her. The only person to live for is Jesus!

Leah was living for the affection of a mere mortal. It is a terrible thing to live for the affection of a mere mortal, terrible thing. Guess what she got? Scorn! Gen.29:³⁵ “Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And then she stopped having children.” The Bible says in Gen. 49:¹⁰ (KJV) “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet…” It is from Judah that Jesus, the Messiah came. The freedom and fulfillment come when you turn your affection to God and live for God alone. The problem is that we live for what we should live on and we try to live on what we should live for. But the better life that Jesus offers is a life that is filled with meaning.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me live my life for Jesus and Jesus alone, in Jesus Name. Amen!