“Oh, for God’s sake, will you stop it?!”

Marlon Furtado

Ever been on the receiving end of this frustrated appeal? Has it ever flowed past your lips? It’s usually reserved for those times someone comes to the end of their patience. They invoke God’s name, assuming that will magically impact someone else’s behavior.

This article is not going to lambast the person who belittles God’s name in this way. I used to speak like this when I got angry or frustrated. Then I came to know Jesus as my Savior. Once I understood what He went through to bear the judgment my sins deserved, my blasphemy changed to love for Him. No longer could I drag His name through the mud.

We can easily miss the extremely valuable lesson to be learned from this phrase, ‘for God’s sake’. This should actually be the mission statement of my life. Oh, I don’t mean that I should be easily angered and frustrated or foul-mouthed. What I mean is that I now have the calling as a follower of Jesus to live every moment ‘for God’s sake,’ not my own. Everything I do, whether surrounded by people or alone, at work or leisure, all should be done for His glory, His renown, His fame, and to make Him known to others.

The Apostle Paul summed this up in 1 Corinthians 10:31 – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” In order to live this way, I don’t have to become a monk in some far-off monastery, isolated from the normal demands of life. Jesus helps people who live in the real world with real problems. Whether we consider our activities to be significant or not, we are to do them with a view to honor God, to bring Him pleasure. Whether preparing a meal, washing laundry, working, or serving the less fortunate, all should be done with the awareness of God’s presence and my need for His help. I’m a long ways from living consistently this way. Too easily I go for long periods without being conscious of God. Far too much of my days are spent thinking only of myself and my desires, rather than His.

Jesus was aware of His Father perfectly, though. As He approached the end of His earthly life, He could say, “Father, I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do” (John 17:4). He left nothing undone. He had finished everything His Father wanted Him to do. He had lived His entire life for God’s glory. Only one gruesome day remained: a day of mocking, beating, and crucifixion.

This seems to be what Jesus meant when He said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35). I’ve found that when I live for ‘my sake,’ I always lose and am left feeling hollow. It’s only when I live for Jesus that I sense fulfillment in my soul.

How about you? Have you experienced the joy of knowing Jesus as your Savior? If not, I’d encourage you to talk to Him right now, and ask Him to live within you and take over the steering wheel of your life. Then, join me in this adventure of living with Him and for Him. Together, let us learn to live ‘for God’s sake.’

 

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