¹³ If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. ¹⁴ Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. ¹⁵ He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthian 5:13-17

Dear God, going to verse 17, what is the new life? Well, it is the last part of verse 15: “…they will live for Christ…” Live for you. It seems counterintuitive to take this small set of years you give to me and use them living for you. Why wouldn’t I live them for myself?

The fascinating thing is I actually get more out of this life for myself when I live for you. If I spend a couple of days selfishly, it doesn’t take me long before I start to feel pretty empty inside. I’ve had unstructured vacations like that where I’ve just laid around all day and done nothing but indulge myself in lethargy. The result is a terrible feeling. The same would be true if I were to allow myself to pursue my vices, focus on accumulation of wealth, or even go down the road of reacting to fear of losing my idols that my sin nature wants to set up as my source for the fruits of the Spirit instead of your actual Spirit. I think about the people who are wrapped around the axle about political issues and how they are not only angry about everything, but they spend a lot of energy getting other people to be as angry as they are. It is very sad to me to watch, but it’s also a cautionary tale because I can see how I could and I have allowed myself to be tempted by those same idols.

Father, I am here today to live for you. That starts with spending this time with you this morning before I get going on the other parts of my day. I need you. I need you totally and completely. I need you so that this one, short life I have will be full of as much joy, love, peace, etc. as there is in this world. Thank you for offering me this new life. For making me a new creation through my rebirth into your kingdom.

I offer all of this to you because Jesus made it possible,

Amen