Daily we make choices to direct the course of our life. And this is not a responsibility we can defer to others. But this tempts us to believe that our life is our own, when in reality our life and very body belong to God. We’ve been crucified with Christ and it’s now Christ who lives through us.
This means we no longer belong to ourselves. We don’t get to do anything we want with our life. We’re simply managers of the life God has given us and not the owners.
Of course, there’s still much freedom as we live out our faith. And maturity often calls for us to courageously exercise this freedom rather than looking for God or others to micromanage every decision. But this freedom is used to glorify God and not merely please ourselves.
For instance, this is like the parable of the talents. The master didn’t tell his servants exactly what they should do with the talents given to them. But there was an expectation for them to use them well. And there were consequences when this was not the case.
The same is true for us. God has given us our life to steward. We’re responsible for it and will be held accountable for how we live. But we’re to live in a way that seeks to bring more glory to God.
While this includes avoiding sin and offering our talents to bless others, it might also include many seasons of costly obedience. In fact, like the saints of old, we might be called to submit to the injustices of this world – not because we deserve it, but because we’re ultimately surrendering to the larger story God is telling, even when we don’t fully understand his ways.
It’s pride that demands life to be lived on our terms.
In the end, live bold and free while remembering your life is not your own. You belong to God. Live accordingly.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
