How tragic it would be to come to the end of life only to realize that I have wasted it. As someone once put it, “How sad it is for a person to climb the ladder of success, only to reach the top and realize that their ladder was leaning against the wrong building!”
Notice the word “careful” in our text. Paul says, “be careful how you live.” Now the opposite of careful is what? Careless! In other words, the Scripture tells us, “don’t be careless.” Literally translated, it means “Don’t just drift through life.” Think it through, know what you’re here for, and “make the most of every opportunity, be wise” and then it says, “try to understand what God wants you to do.”
That is what we’ve been doing in this series. We have been trying to understand what God wants us to do. We have seen how God has five purpose to guide us in living for Him. We were planned for His pleasure, that’s worship, responding to God’s love for us by knowing Him and loving Him in return. We should see worship as our greatest passion. We were formed for God’s family, that’s fellowship, growing in our involvement with and commitment to a local family of faith. Fellowship with God’s family should be should be seen as our greatest pleasure. We were created to be like Christ, that’s discipleship, committing to communing with Christ daily so that we might follow Him faithfully. Discipleship should be seen as our greatest pursuit. We were shaped to serve, that’s ministry, and we serve God by serving others, which should be seen as our greatest privilege. Finally, we were made for a mission, that’s evangelism, partnering with God in being an Acts 1:8 Christian, working together with others believers to fulfill the Great Commission, sharing the Good News so others might become part of God’s family through faith in Christ. Evangelism should be seen as our greatest priority.
Now, having come to an understanding on what God would have us to do, it is important that we see that understanding is not enough. Understanding God’s purposes for your life gives you daily direction. But now you have to make a daily decision. Which brings us to a consideration of two questions that we need to ask ourselves.
1. Will I give God what He wants?
What does God want?
God wants my whole life. There is not a single verse in the Bible, not one that says you can be a Christian and live your life any old way you want to. God wants all of you. He doesn't want 10% of you, He doesn’t want 50% of you. He doesn’t want 99% of you. He wants all of you.
“Give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.” - Romans 6:13 (NLT)
Note the words “completely” and “whole body.”
“The only thing Christianity cannot be, is moderately important.” - C.S. Lewis
If it’s really true, then it deserves everything you’ve got. If it’s not true, you shouldn’t be here right now. The only thing Christianity cannot be is moderately important. It’s either all, or nothing. It’s either true, and that fact should determine the rest of your life, or you should just chuck it and go do whatever you want to do.
A lot of people try to sit on the fence. They say, “I’ll serve God in my spare time.” It’s like I have this pie - I have my social life, my career life, my family life, my personal life, and over here I have my spiritual life - as if your spiritual life is one part of the pie. Wrong. God wants the whole pie to be under His control.
“Now, Israel, this is what the LORD your God wants you to do: Respect the LORD your God, and do what he has told you to do. Love him. Serve the LORD your God with your whole being.” - Deuteronomy 10:12 (NCV)
There’s that thought again: “Whole being.” I think it is clear what God wants from us. He wants our entire life to be given to Him. Will you give God what He wants?
2. Will I do what God asks?
What is God asking for? He is asking for first place.
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).” - Matthew 6:24 (Amplified)
Note that Jesus says, “cannot,” not “should not.”
He says it is impossible to serve God and anything else. He’s saying it is impossible to have two number one priorities in your life. You can’t have two number one priorities.
Now there are a lot of things that can push God out of First Place in your life. Work, play, sports, hobbies, friends, school work, dating, even your own family can push God out of First place in your life. And He’s saying you can’t serve God and something else at the same time. God says, “I want it all. I want to be totally in charge of your life.”
So really the question here is “What’s going to be First Place in your life?” Building your career? Raising your family? Retirement? Maintaining your good health? All of those things are good. God created them. And God approves of all of them, except when they take First place. God says, “You will have no other gods before me,” (Exodus 20:3), and whatever is in First Place in your life, is your god. God says, “If you will make me No. 1 in your life, before everything else, I’ll bring it all back into focus in the right way.”
Once Jesus told a man, “Follow me,” and he said, “I will follow you. But Lord, let me first go take care of some things I’ve got to take care of.” Now, that phrase - “Lord, let me first” is a contradiction. You can’t say “Lord” and “me first” at the same time. If you’re saying “me first,” He’s not your Lord. He’s not in charge. So, you have to decide who’s going to be first in your life - you, or God?
Where are you saying to God, “me first?” Are you saying, “God, I’ll live for you, but let me first find somebody to marry. Let me first finish school. Let me first get the kids out of the house. Let me first achieve financial independence. Let me first pay off my mortgage. Let me first build my career” And God says, “If I’m not first, none of this is going to be in right perspective.”
“In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” - Proverbs 3:6 (LB)
A popular film right now is Gravity. It’s a movie about astronauts who have their space shuttle hit by debris that sets them tumbling through space. The hero in the film, played by Sandra Bullock, has to float from one space station to another until she can safely
return back to earth. It’s a film that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The thought of “floating” through space is scary.
But it is no less scary for us to float through life. As believers, however, we need not do so if we will put God first. By doing so, we can keep our bearings.
“In space, astronauts experience the misery of having no reference point, no force that draws them to the center. Where there is no ‘moral gravity’ – that is, no force that draws us to the center – there is spiritual weightlessness. We float on feelings that will carry us where we were never meant to go; we bubble with emotional experiences that we often take for spiritual ones; and we are puffed up with pride. Instead of seriousness, there is foolishness. Instead of gravity, flippancy. Sentimentality takes the place of theology. Our reference point will never serve to keep our feet on solid rock. Our reference point, until we answer God’s call, is merely ourselves. We cannot possibly tell which end is up.” - Elizabeth Elliot
Will you answer God’s call? Will surrender you life to putting God first and commit to living a life of eternal purpose for Him?
Conclusion: Why should I make the effort to surrender all of my life to God by putting Him first by committing to living a purposeful life?
I can tell you the reason why you ought to do it in two words - the cross. Because of the cross. Jesus gave His life completely for you and He expects your life in return. Jesus gave his all for us; now we are called to give our all to Him.
“He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” - 2 Corinthians 5:15 (NLT)
As we mentioned previously, understanding God’s purposes for your life gives you daily direction. But now you have to make a daily decision. Starting today, what will your decision be?
