It is quite easy for someone to adopt a slogan as pious as “living for Jesus”. However, when we shine a light upon what it means to live for Jesus, it might surprise us all. Living for Jesus is not just about attending religious services. It is more than following the ten commandments of Moses. It is something much more practical than that. Living For Jesus or “giving your life to Jesus” means that your life now has the single goal of advancing the mission of Jesus. The person living for Jesus is the person that has submitted to a kingdom-of-heaven structure somewhere. You toss away your own personal ambition and serve something bigger than yourself.
You cannot live for Jesus without a thorough understanding of his mission and your role within it. This requires you to drop your own ambition, giving it up in favour of something bigger than yourself. Jesus wants us to operate as the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). He wants the world saved, healed and delivered (John 3:16-17). Following Jesus or living for Jesus has never been about “using God” to power up your selfish ambitions. Jesus Christ did not die so that you can become “a millionaire” and buy everything you ever wanted. It is not about fueling your greed and objects of your lust.
You have to ask yourself the big question: Are you living for yourself or have you submitted to something greater than yourself? When you think about the greatest people of all time, across all spheres of life, you find that they had submitted to something bigger than them. Whether Martin Luther or Enoch Adeboye. Nikola Tesla or Gregor Johann Mendel. Mark Burnett or Strive Masiyiwa. They all transcended their personal dreams and began to front for Jesus in the society. You have to drop your private dreams and ambition, and become part of what God is doing in your generation. That is how to live for Jesus. The price for greatness is selflessness and service.
