By Gail Schmidt, Volunteer for Setting Captives Free
March 2, 2023
A song has been running through my head for the past few months. The song is titled "Life Defined," and it is sung by Shane and Shane. The chorus of this song is;
All I am my life defined
By I've been crucified with Christ
The life I live I live by faith
In Jesus Christ who lives in me
I will wake up in the morning singing this song. It will come to me in the middle of the day and before I lay my head on my pillow. It is the chorus that I usually sing. I was thinking about the words of the chorus and what they say. One day it dawned on me that this chorus was based on Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
I started asking myself if this is what defines my life. Do I consider my life defined by having been crucified with Christ? Do I truly live by faith in Jesus Christ? Do I let the Holy Spirit guide my every step?
These are questions that take some thinking to answer. I certainly know that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I put my faith and trust in Him long ago. I know I will spend eternity with Him. This is my anchor and the hope in which I live.
But do I consider my earthly life as having been crucified with Him? Have I put to death all earthly influences in my life? Is there anything I have kept back from God’s control in my life? I know anything I put before God in my life is an idol I must get rid of.
So each morning I must come to the cross and wash in Christ’s fountain of blood, which makes me right with God. I must put to death any sin that is holding me back from giving my whole life to my Savior.
I surrender all that I am to the Spirit and walk with Him throughout each day. It is the Holy Spirit that speaks truth into my life, as John 16:13 tells me.
As I do this, I can fight any temptation that comes at me and say no to that temptation. I know that as I am saying no, I am also saying yes to being obedient to God’s call on my life.
When I consider all of this, I know my life is defined by my Savior when I walk in the perfect plans He has for me in faithful obedience to Him.
Let us give all that we are to our Savior. Let our lives be defined by faith in Jesus and not this world.