I gave up trying to be popular today. My pastor spoke on staying centered today. He said that making anything or anyone other than Jesus the center of our life is a dangerous proposition. He handed out a piece of paper to each one of us that listed 10 things people often make the central focus of their lives. The list included happiness, spouse, children, service, ministry, work, addictions and the future.
There was a blank beside each choice, and we filled in the blanks with the consequences of making each the most important thing. Here are a few examples:
Happiness = become a selfish person
Spouse = an unhealthy marriage
Children = emotionally unhealthy children
Service = unable to live without being needed / codependent
Ministry = unbalanced ministry / controlling and angry
Work = loss of more important things (family, friends, and faith)
The Future = inability to enjoy the present / constant disappointment and disdain for the present
I saw myself in several of those choices. I’ve been spending less time actually interacting with my wife and daughter lately because I’ve been so absorbed and focused on our future. Every waking moment has been devoted to figuring out how to quickly get us to an island where we can enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and find joy in natural beauty (where we live now isn’t exactly scenic). And in that pursuit, my focus has strayed. My family suffered for it. My faith suffered for it.
Honestly, I don’t get this “make Jesus the center” stuff. Am I a Christian? Yes. But I have a life surrounded by goals and dreams that I don’t know whether Jesus cares about. Yes, I have seen that God wants to bless and prosper me. And no, I can’t make a categorical statement that God will handle each person the same way. But I also see that if I spent my life talking about Scripture and worried about sin and good service, what kind of life would I really have? One that is focused on how to behave rather than what I do while I’m living.
And that, dear Watson, simply will not do.
But my pastor pointed us to the passage that says “But do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” He says that renewing our mind is our part of making God the center of our lives. Something about how renewed minds belong to people with joy, fulfillment, peace, security, trust in God, and quality of life. Something about how renewing the mind leads to a heavenly perspective, and a heavenly perspective being one of awestruck wonder and devotion to the son of God.
I’m processing all of this. It takes time.
Popularity: 4% [?]
0 comments so far
Add a comment