Avoid Destruction – Live For Jesus First!
Word-Of-The-Day: ‘(8) Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (9) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’ (Galatians 6:8-9)
The world is full of those who are in it for themselves, unfortunately. We see this in both of our domestic political parties; the party out of power states the vengeance they will carry out once they regain power and reverse all the achievements of the opposition. Whether or not those achievements benefitted the American people is of little concern to them as long as they can erase and destroy the legacy of the opposition.
We also see this in Iran, as the Islamic clerics hold desperately to the grip of power that is quickly eroding away. Their nation would benefit on a better footing if they would give up now, and negotiate terms of a peaceful settlement. Instead, they will continue to fight until nothing is left, similar to the situation in Gaza where almost every building has been razed or severely damaged and their resources decimated.
The desire of self, to see their ideas and plans continue to be implemented, even at the destruction of everything around them, is nothing new. In World War II, we saw Germany fight until it literally disappeared as the Western Allies met the Soviet forces at the Elbe River, and Japan had two cities evaporate by atomic weapons before they surrendered. Their leaders did not think of the repercussions that would fall upon their people; their actions brought them shame, humiliation, and defeat.
Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, a group of churches established in what is now central Turkey, is both a defense of the Gospel and an instructional guide on how to live for the Gospel. Galatians 6 describes how we must live in the identity of Christ; how we are not to live for self but for others as Jesus did during His earthly ministry.
The first half of Galatians 6:8 is a summation of the end results of ‘self’; a determination, without seeking God’s will or consultation first, is made on what is pleasing, and the pursuit of those pleasures and desires result in the destruction of ‘self’ and unfortunately most that which is around us. This can be corporately as a nation, as Nazi Germany or modern-day Iran, or our political parties, with the results as laid out above.
It can also be individually, when we place self-interests above the interests of Jesus and His Kingdom. This can be tricky and confusing for many of us, as we serve Jesus but we also have our own needs to take care of from the earthly perspective. We serve Jesus while we need to attend to maintaining our homes, our relationships, and our well-being.
If we serve ourselves first, however, it is often out of desires that don’t always align with God’s plan for us. This is what leads us down the wrong path, the path of self-gratification, greed, or spite – the placement of satisfying feelings over Faith. For the non-believer, a lifetime of selfish pursuits to satisfy ungodly desires end in eternal separation away from God, and eternal, ultimate destruction.
For The Believer, a trip down the wrong path of selfishness prevents us from living a life in the fullness of God’s grace and mercy, leading in consequences that, while never negating our Salvation, prevents us from living for Him fully while on Earth. Our experiences could more content and less stressful if we followed God’s plan instead of having to fall under His correction.
But the second half of Galatians 6:8 and the encouragement and advice of Galatians 6:9 by Paul instructs us that if we avoid the trap of ‘self’ and be ‘selfless’ as Jesus demonstrated, a life of humility and place others and their needs over self, our lives will be rewarding and better off. Instead of selfish pursuits, we live for advancement of the Gospel and the Way.
A selfless life that, while we don’t ignore our needs we also take in account the needs of others. This is not always material needs, but their need of Salvation, Spiritual relationship, and fellowship; to take in consideration how our actions affect others.
When we act in Jesus’ interests first, or when we consider our ‘self’ actions in the context of ‘what would Jesus do’ and ‘would Jesus approve’, we act in the pleasing of the Spirit. Our actions are not meant to harm but instead to do good, and while it may not lead to an immediate reward or benefit, Paul intimates that a life led by placing Jesus first will ‘reap a harvest’ in terms of contentment. We will know our lives reflected Jesus and we will have no or very little regrets, earning the reward of the inheritance promised by Jesus in serving Him (Colossians 3:23-24).
Avoid vengeance, and living to satisfy desires, but live for Jesus and for others to see and hear Jesus in your actions – the more who live for Jesus, the better we will all be for it.
