Living TO the Lord

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. (Romans 14)

Often in our Christian lingo we talk about "living for the Lord", as if we are doing God a favor by our behavior.  Paul prefers to talk about living TO the Lord, with Him as our goal and our end, heading in His direction. It's not about us, but Him.  When that is our perspective and goal, there is a lot less time for looking around, comparing, and criticizing one another.  There are definitely clear instructions of Scripture from God as to what to do and not do to please Him. By His Holy Spirit, he helps us continue to apply those principles in developing convictions to carry us through this life and toward His eternal presence. Today, let's ask Him not how we can live "for" Him, but "to Him.