Whenever we make decisions in our daily lives, we can ask ourselves what our primary consideration is. Often times, people would consider their needs and make a decision that would reap the most benefits. If a person achieves his goals at the expense of another person’s interest, we can say that this person is very selfish and self-centered. Other than considering our own benefits, I believe most of us will think of others too and avoid hurting them. There are also some, who in the spirt of self-denial, choose rather to be at the losing end just so that it may benefit another person. A good example would be a soldier who is willing to sacrifice himself in war to defend his country. These individuals who are willing to sacrifice themselves for others because they believe in the greater good, or they believe that others are more important than they. In fact, the ‘Lord’ is the primary consideration in every decision we make. This ‘Lord’ watches over every decision we make in our lives. In reality, a lot of people or things are fighting for the ‘Lord’s place in our lives. Besides ourselves, there are our families, our bosses, our interests, money, etc.

The apostle Paul said in Galatians 2:20; “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” All those who have accepted Jesus as their Saviour have also accepted the fact that the Lord of their lives is Christ and no one else. When we believe in the Lord Jesus, we have given the reins of our lives to Him and we are willing to submit to and obey Christ. We do not live for ourselves as we live for Christ. To put it simply, those who believe in Jesus are children of God and because you belong to Him, you should obey Him. Hence, we cannot say that after believing in Christ, we can still behave as before, and lead our lives the way we want. The Lord Jesus is our master. This does not only mean that we should follow him, it also means that he has to be the centre of our lives. In other words, whatever we do has to do with Jesus. Our jobs, families, recreation, finances, time, interpersonal relationships, courtship, principles, moral values and outlook in life, and the choices we make have to be according to Jesus’ will.

As Christians, who is our ‘Lord’? Is it the Lord Jesus? Could it be someone or something else? We can do a simple test. In the different aspects of life which were mentioned earlier, whenever we make an important decision, do we consider what our Lord Jesus’ will is? Would He be happy with our plans and choices? Would our choices upset our Lord? Even if we do not have answers to these questions, it is a good start if we posssess this type of mentality or habit! Next, do we search for answers to the above questions and seek God’s will? This includes seeking His will through prayer, looking for guidance from the Bible, and consulting other Christians, especially those who are spiritually mature. After receiving a clear answer, are we willing to obey it? May we really give our Lord Jesus the authority over our lives. Our Lord who loves us gave up His life to redeem us. Thus, we ought to dedicate our lives to Him. Furthermore, if Jesus is really the Lord of our lives, we will be doing our best to serve Him. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1). One of the ways to serve the Lord is to be passionate about joining the Church in building lives and spreading the Gospel.

We allow the Lord to be the priority in our lives because He is our Savior. “You were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies” (1 Cor 6:20).