“For whom do you live?” is a good question to ask myself and for others to ponder as well.

It is typical, especially in the culture wars of today, to say, “I live for myself.” We can see it in phrases like “My body; my choice.” It is, after all, all about me.  And tragically, it is finding more and more footing with Christ-followers than we might think. We seem to be on a road to self-actualization. I will call it rationalization. It is too hard living my/our life for someone else so let’s crawl back into our hole and live for self.

For those outside of Christ, that philosophy can be understood. They don’t have a higher calling. They don’t have the Creator of the universe, the sovereign God who made all, rules all, and controls all as the “check” in their lives. But for we who call ourselves Christ-followers, there comes a point where we must choose. And frankly, that choice is a tough one. It involves making a radical decision to humbly lay aside our wants and desires and lay it all at His feet and say, “Here I am Lord. I lay my desires, my plans, my dreams, my future at your feet and surrender them all to You.”

What it comes down to is the opening question I presented: “For whom do I live?” You see, we were not made to bring glory to ourselves. We were made to bring glory to the Father. In the OT story of the children of Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai, Moses was in mountains getting the Law from God. They became impatient and wanted a “god.” So Aaron took the gold they left Egypt with and fashioned a golden calf. When Moses saw it he was enraged. So enraged, he busted the tablets which had just been made. Ironically, one of the first statements on those tablets said, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Moses was livid; God was even more so. They had taken the glory intended for God alone and given it to a mass of formed gold. I’m still trying to figure out Aaron’s thinking when he said, “Don’t get upset my lord (talking to Moses)…When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire and out came this calf!” (Exodus 32:22-24) Aaaah yeah. Simply put: the people of Israel decided that God’s glory was not enough. They wanted a fake.

Am I much different though? How often have I been so stuck on myself that I have laid aside the glory only God should get for that which is given to me? I take credit for something I have no business taking credit for.  I must remember that I am only a creature; He is the Creator. He won’t settle for second place. So let me ask again: “For whom do you live?”