5 Ways to Know You’re Living for God and Not Yourself
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- Updated Apr 04, 2022
Are you living for God or for yourself? How can you know for sure? We can’t put too much stock in our own answers – we’re biased. And sometimes we can't trust the opinions of others, especially when they don’t want to hurt our feelings.
However you answer, there’s likely some way we can all improve upon our relationship with God. Some way we can better live lives that reflect His will and not our own. If that’s what you want to reflect on today, then keep reading. Here are 5 ways to know you’re living for God and not yourself.
1. You Commit to God
“And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.” (1 Kings 8:61, CSB)
When we accept a job offer, we commit to working. When we accept a marriage proposal, we commit to marriage. When we become Christian, we take on a commitment to having a relationship with God.
This type of commitment is different from what we offer any of the people in our lives. To commit to God means to abide by His Word, to live life according to His will.
In other words, we live less for me, and more for thee.
A commitment is a promise. And this promise is the first step in knowing we’re living for God and not for ourselves.
2. You Make Time for God
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
In addition to making that initial commitment to God, our devotion to Him is also apparent in how much time we make for our relationship. Consider the time we spend with our lovers, children, or jobs. Where we are most devoted is where we spend the most time, and not just physically. What occupies our mind most also reveals where we are focused.
Living a life dedicated to God means making ample time to spend with Him, think about Him, and read Scripture. Some believers set aside time to pray and meditate on His word in the morning, others at night. We do this in isolation away from others to ensure that God is the focus.
There’s no set amount of time that Scripture outlines for believers to spend in prayer and meditation. However, God’s Word does indicate that this time should be ongoing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
If we don’t spend time with God then can we truly claim to have a relationship?
3. God Comes Before Your Spouse
“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
The reason your spouse comes before your children is because your union is the cornerstone of the family structure, the foundation on which everything else is built: children, home, income. Therefore, children depend on their parents to be the best versions of themselves.
The reason God comes before your spouse is because He is God, the creator of you and your lover. He provides for you in ways they never can like salvation, and satisfies your deepest longings, something your spouse could never hope to accomplish.
With God, we have the ability to become more like Jesus Christ. We become better versions of ourselves, something that both the spouse and children benefit from.
Therefore, God has to come first in our lives. Only then can we say He is our first love. And only then can we put our best foot forward in every other aspect of life.
4. You Ask God, What Can I Do for You?
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
A life dedicated to God is a life shaped by faith. We know we’re living for God when we ask God what we can do for Him. Doesn’t a servant know the master’s will? Likewise, a believer knows the will of his God and when he doesn’t know, he asks.
This does not mean we never ask God for anything on our own behalf. David, a man after God’s heart, asks God for plenty (Psalm 13). However, how much we seek to serve God as opposed to being served, speaks to our relationship.
Who are we most living for? Him or ourselves?
5. You Deny Yourself Pleasures
“Whoever strays from the path of prudence comes to rest in the company of the dead. Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.” (Proverbs 21:16-17)
In the 21st century, instant gratification has become something almost everyone experiences in one way or another. What instant gratification entails is getting what we want when we want it. Want something? Take it. Buy it. Search it. Claim it. Every day we can instantly gratify ourselves with food, porn, social media, and more.
When we live for God, and not ourselves, we are emboldened to say no to these desires, especially when they don’t honor the Lord. Saying no to ourselves in these situations equals saying yes to God because we abstain from fleshly desires and choose spiritual virtues instead. Patience and prudence are just two examples.
A Prayer for Serving God
These are but five ways to know you are living for God and not yourself. Sometimes we may fail in one area or another. What’s important is to recognize we are not perfect. We can’t be immaculate for being sinners (Romans 3:23). However, we can keep striving to be more and more like Jesus every day, no matter our shortcomings. That’s what God desires of us.
With this in mind, here is a prayer for serving God, another reminder we can come back to when we need to recommit ourselves to the one who loves us most.
God,
I come before you now, a humble and seeking servant. My request is that you would place your will on my heart. Make your desires known to me. Inform me of how I can best serve you.
The days are short and life is but a flower, here for a season and gone the next. From the dust we were created, and to dust I shall return. While I am here though, I want to serve. I want to serve in such a way that there is no doubt within my mind that you are my first love.
Not my spouse. Not my children. You.
Not my job, nor my hobbies. You.
Help me to know what’s important to you. Teach me your ways so that I may honor you this day.
Your will. Not my own. Today and forevermore.
Amen.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/metamorworks
