For there are many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, who walk (live) as enemies of the cross of Christ (the Anointed One). They are doomed and their fate is eternal misery (perdition); their god is their stomach (their appetites, their sensuality) and they glory in their shame, siding with earthly things and being of their party. Philippians 3:18-19 (AMPC)
It matters what you live for therefore live for what matters. Living is a means to an end, either an ending of a great reward or a regrettable one.
When you live for your stomach which is only what you need, want, and desire in the fleeting now at the exclusion and expense of the lasting forever of God’s will and purpose you’re an enemy of the Cross of Christ or the God centered life. The end of all this is eternal misery.
There’s nothing wrong with you having needs, wants, and desires as well as seeking to meet them but if that’s all there’s to life for you then as the Scripture has said you’re doomed and your fate is eternal misery.
You see the lesson from the analogy of living for your stomach is this – whatever is thrown into the stomach ends up into the waste disposal.
Matthew 15:17 (NLT) “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.
No matter how sumptuous or savory that seven course meal was, as sure as the sunrise and sunset it all always ends up disposed off.
Even if you were given the opportunity to live a million years on this present fallen earth in this present mortal physical body you’ll never be satisfied always wanting more and more, yet the body will die ending up in the grave.
That’s what living for your appetites and sensuality amounts to.
But living for what you were put here on earth for brings true and lasting fulfillment first in this life and afterwards even when you put off this earthly body you enter into the joy of your master. What matters and what you’re here in life for are those passions and pursuits in your heart that make you predominantly more of giver than a getter, a sower than an eater, a contributor than a consumer.
Instead of being preoccupied with how much you can achieve in status or possessions focus on how you can release life and wellbeing to others and the world around you.