The Joy of Living for Others

It's a vicious cycle that definitely does not lead to loving others. But to be set free from the law is to be free to live for others.

"Jesus replied, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally imprtant: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." - Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus teaches in Matthew that the law itself is based on love. Love for God and love for people. Love was always the point. Sin distorted the law to lead us to death, but the goal was always love.

That's why the gift that Jesus bought for us on the cross is so valuable. He gave us the gift of freedom so we can experience the true joy of living a life of loving others.

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another." - Galatians 5:13-15

There is no joy in a life lived for yourself. It’s lonely and unsatisfying. You’ll end up spending all of your money on things that can’t make you happy and ultimately are bad for the earth or society or both. Living for others takes sacrifice, but the reward is far greater than we dare to dream.

When we live in love and not under law, we can experience a much deeper joy in life than we ever could have hoped for under the law.

"So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves." Galatians 5:16

So if we are set free to live for Christ and not for ourselves, then we live dependent on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's ministry is all about leading us to commune with the Lord. I love the way this commentary says it:

"To be led by the Spirit means to be lifted above the flesh and to be occupied with the Lord. When one is so occupied, he is not thinking of the law or the flesh."

Being a slave to Christ takes our mind away from ourselves, away from self-righteousness, and performance. It turns our eyes to Christ and allows us to see others through the lens of His love. Thus, we can love others with the depth of His love. Which is so much more rewarding than living only to please our own selves.

As we prepare for the New Year, ask the Lord to show you new ways to love people around you and get ready to experience joy like never before in 2025!