The Cause of Christ

By Pastor Terry Gee

Am I wasting my life? Many will ask this given enough time for reflection. Humans were built for a purpose and to miss it would be a waste. This is why a life full of work, progress, and doing good for others is held in honor, and a life lost to drug overdose or suicide is a tragedy. The wasted life does not fulfill its purpose. 

A song we recently sang in service, The Cause of Christ, begins as follows:

The only thing I want in life

Is to be known for loving Christ

To build his church, to love his bride

And make his name known far and wide

In this verse, the goal for the Christian is laid out as threefold:

•     To love Christ

•     To build up His church

•     To make His name known

These are indispensable elements of the unwasted Christian life. Encompassing the foundational calls to love God and love one’s neighbor while living for the spread of the gospel to the glory of God, this verse provides a focused declaration of purpose for all Christians who want their lives to be useful to the Master.

Not every ambition in life will be counted equal in the final account. Not every goal is a worthy one. Certain pursuits will be counted as a waste of time in the end. Let us then free ourselves from any of these things that lead us to live for anything less than the cause of Christ - with all of our strength, while we still have breath, and until He comes. 

For this cause I live

For this cause I’d die

I surrender all

For the cause of Christ

All I once held dear

I will leave behind

For my joy is this

O the cause of Christ

Lyrics from The Cause of Christ - written by Kari Jobe, Bryan Fowler, and Benjamin Hastings