Living Life for Christ Alone

I need to tell you about the title of this blog. Partly because I have forgotten about it and just noticed afresh what it's called. "What, you forgot the name of your blog?" you ask. Well, yes... and no. I just forgot what it means to me, what it ought to mean every time I wake up in the morning, when I lie down at night.... what it ought to mean all the time. First, living for Christ alone means exactly that. So this should not take too long to explain. :) Living:  In other words, not being in a dead, un-moving state. It's growing. It's walking. It's being. Being everything you are meant to be. Are you alive? If you're not, do you want to be?

This year I started using a Bible in the year plan. It's been interesting to me which books they give you to read first. Part of the first several days was the book of Philippians... As I was reading in chapter 1, several phrases challenged me. I'd like to pass this challenge on to you. "For me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don't know which is better. I'm torn between two desires; I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live." -Philippians 1:21-24 I pulled out my notebook and started to spill the thoughts that were coming to mind, which I will write below. (In italics.) Do I have such a heavenly mindset? 

This morning, as I spent my time alone with God, I sat in the van, doors shut, sun rising over the horizon, starting to warm up the place where I sat. One question seemed to dominate my thoughts... How do I know I'm useful in God's opinion?  For the past 24 hours, a feeling had been threatening to dominate my actions. "I don't really matter in the bigger scheme of things." That's how I felt, and I knew that there was only one place this lie could melt away. That would be in God's presence. So, here I was, sitting in the car before God, asking Him my question, waiting for an answer.  I knew that whatever God gives me to do is important. Nothing can change that. But, for some reason, I felt unseen, unimportant to everyone else.  As I opened up my bible to search for His answer to my question, my eye fell upon several different verses that talked about Jesus.