How to Live a Life Devoted to Christ

Posted February 2, 2022

Growing up in a Christian household, I was taught to follow Christ’s footsteps in whatever I do. It was the sole purpose of getting into the habit of a healthy Christian lifestyle. Of course, I often wandered from the true path of life. When I did, I knew that I was allowing myself to fall deeper into sin. I would eventually learn that what I did was wrong, and that I would need to go and kneel at the altar and ask for God’s forgiveness again. It was through his wonderful grace and mercy that I was able to understand my mistakes and work to steer clear from them.

Paul tells us in 2 Timothy that before time began, we were saved and given a purpose in life. Without Jesus, we would be constantly depressed, not knowing that we have a significant reason to live on this Earth. Now, you may ask me, what is our ultimate purpose in life? In Psalm 63:7 (NIV), David said, “Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.” If you were not in the right state of mind and someone helped you out, you would be grateful and that person would leave a positive thought in your mind, right? Then, you’d want to pay it forward to somebody else. It’s the same with Jesus. He gave us a helping hand when we were at our lowest of lows. We have the responsibility to give thanks and tell others about His great deeds. And the best part is, this gift is meant for everyone. The most important thing is whether you accept it or not. The effect of all of this is that we should glorify Him for every single thing that He has done for us.

Here are six important signs that are telling you that you’re not living in God’s purpose (but don't worry- there's plenty of ways to change your path):

1. You’re blatantly living in sin. If you’re disobeying God’s Word, you’re obviously not living in his purpose and you will unquestionably experience a sense of aimlessness in your life.

2. You’re lacking joy and excitement. God has so many wonderful things planned for you and one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22). Yes, you will run into times in your life when you’re going to have to rely on your patience. However, you should have a sense of joy and excitement that fills you wherever you go.

3. You don’t feel much fulfilment in life. Fulfilment comes from doing meaningful things. If your entire life is currently grey, you’ll need to tweak some things.

4. You work so that you don’t have to work. Everyone knows the feeling of pointless work. You go to school or your workplace, do your job or learn new things, go home and collapse on your bed watching Netflix or scrolling through TikTok for hours. All true joy comes from outside of your workplace or school. In Ecclesiastes 8:15 (NIV), it says, “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.” Ask yourself, is this the kind of joy that characterizes your life? If not, you may want to rethink where you’re headed.

5. You feel stuck. You desperately want a change in life, but you’re stuck. This is a very clear sign that you’re not sticking with God’s purpose in you. Do you feel trapped? Try turning to God and slowly untangle that net that you’re stuck in.

6. You have no direction. Unlike the Israelites who wandered in the desert for forty years who still had a plan (the Promised Land), you don’t even have a goal in front of you.

If you’re having any one of these six signs, it may be time for you to begin a closer walk with God. The good news is that there's plenty of ways to do so. Try some of the following things to help you strengthen your relationship with Jesus:

• Savor your relationship with Christ.

• Let Him be the key centerpiece to your table of life.

• Focus less on showing off your own skills and focus more on spreading Jesus.

• Meditate in prayer and Scripture.

• Keep a journal on your nightstand that is purely devoted to God.

• Set a timer on your phone for five minutes every day and find a quiet room in your house. Pour out all of your worries to God with zero distractions on your mind until the timer goes off.

• Remind yourself constantly about His never ending grace.

• Spread the Gospel, so that others may find the one true God and worship him endlessly.

• Let the Holy Spirit overtake you.

• Lift your hands in prayer and don’t ever be ashamed to sing his praises out loud.

Relying on Him is such an important piece in the puzzle of life, and if you forget that important piece, you’ll end up feeling lost. However, God is always there, and He knows what you’re going through.