Having the Right Focus

Having the Right Focus
1 Peter 4:1-11
“Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

What governs your decisions and actions?  Daily, we are confronted with many choices.  We are confronted with the choice of how we speak to others.  We are faced with choices about what we do and even what we eat and drink.  We have to decide what we will do with our time and energy. Our decisions and choices reveal our priorities and desires in life.  They reveal our values and what we consider to be important.  If someone would examine every decision and choice you make in just one day, they would be able to identify what you value and what you determine to be right and wrong.
Peter takes us back to the cross to remind us that Christ’s death on the cross did more than just achieve our forgiveness of sin.  It brought a complete transformation of our values.  Christ died on the cross so that we might be free from sin and its domination of our lives.  In our union with Christ and his suffering, we are now dead to sin.  It no longer controls us, and our life's purpose and priorities are now redefined.  Instead of following the desires of our sinful nature, we are now to prioritize and pursue the will of God.  Our values are now different.

Apart from Christ, our desires are governed by our sinful desires.  We do what pleases us.  A life characterized by our desires is marked by “immorality and lust, feasting and drunkenness and parties” (vs. 3 New Living Translation).  We base our decisions upon what we want and what gives us immediate pleasure and gratification.  Life is dictated by the moment and what makes us happy and feel good at the present time.  

When we surrender to Christ and embrace the salvation He gives, it is to result in a complete reorientation of life.  Instead of pursuing pleasure, we are now to seek our will and purpose.  We no longer spend our lives chasing our desires and agenda for life.  Instead, we now become driven by God’s will for our life.  Instead of making decisions based on what is best for us, we now base our decisions on what is best for others.  We move from a self-oriented agenda to a others-focused mindset.  We now strive to use our spiritual gifts and talents for the church's growth and the service of others.  Many people base their decisions on what is best for their agenda and career and how they might achieve the career path and success they desire.  However, when we surrender to Christ, our priority changes from building our careers to building His kingdom by using our spiritual gifts to minister to others.  Instead of our choices being based upon what is best for us—our financial portfolio, our career trajectory, our happiness—our choices are now based upon how we can participate in Christ’s redemptive work so that he might be glorified through us.
 
This is why we need to stop and reflect upon our daily decisions.  Life and using our spiritual gifts are more than just a task we do on Sundays at church; it is a mindset that permeates every choice and decision.   Every choice we make—what we do with our time, how we spend our money, what we prioritize—becomes an expression of our relationship with Christ.  If someone were to examine your choices today, would they conclude that you are a follower of Christ?  Would they see Christ in every act and decision? If not, we need to change the foundation of why we do what we do.