For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. Romans 14:7

Have you ever thought: “what I do doesn’t matter”? Or maybe “this just affects me”? Or maybe, “no one would even notice”?

In each case and many more, it is important to remember that as the old adage says, “no man is an island”. What we do, whether alone or among others matters. We are spiritually connected to people and to God. Every decision and choice we make affects those connections in one way or another. We may want to believe what we do doesn’t matter or only affects us, but in reality those decisions shape us and make us who we are which inevitably affects people around us in some way. From our attitude in dealing with a cashier to setting an appointment by phone, our choices make us fit or unfit for our service to God in even the smallest of tasks.

1 Corinthians 12:26 says,

If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

God has set us up as a “body”. This means that the Christian must realize that we belong to each other. On some deeper spiritual plane we are connected so that what one goes through, we all are affected. The reality is that no one is so isolated or insulated that what they do or don’t do has insignificance. Everything matters. As members of one another we must live in such a way that we are not living recklessly or accidentally, but intentionally and making every decision in light of eternity. It’s not always fun or easy to think of others when making decisions but the Christian life is always about God’s glory first and then secondly, not hindering self or others from living out God’s plan. Whether we live or die, it is never truly alone.

What decisions have you been making that are selfish?

What have you been doing that you think only affects you?

How do you need to look at your life differently and see your connection to God and others?