Wednesday, April 30, 2014

DEVO May 1 - Is Jesus your life ... or just a part of your life?

I want to know Christ

and the power of his resurrection

and the sharing of his sufferings

by becoming like him in his death

Philippians 3:10

 

For the past few days, we’ve been making a case for simplicity being the secret to blessing and joy. Therefore, we’ve been pointing toward a simple focus, asking, “What is your one thing?”

 

Yesterday, we discovered that when David’s “one thing” was the Lord, there was light, hope, joy, and blessing. When, however, he focused on himself – and on personal pleasure – there was challenge, complication, and disaster.

 

As a pastor, I watch people all of the time. We want hope, joy, and blessing … but we go about by focusing on ourselves and chasing after personal pleasure. Do you see the problem? Do you live the problem?

 

It’s not that we don’t know God or love God, but for most of us, he’s just one of the pieces of our lives. When I’m at work, I do work stuff. When I’m at home, I focus on home stuff. When I’m church … or when a prayer concern pops into my mind … or for the twenty minutes that I do devotions … then I focus on God. Sound familiar? God is important. We know that. But for most of us (and even for me for most of my life) he was “a thing” (one of ten or twenty), but he wasn’t “everything.”

 

But something powerful and freeing happens when we change our focus …

 

·         What happens when work is about Jesus?! A public school teacher may be forbidden to mention Jesus’ name, but instead of focusing on reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic, what if she focuses on seeing Jesus in each of these kids and inspiring them even if the only tools she’s technically allowed to use are reading and math. Can a manager start trying to see Christ in his employees? Can a clerk subtly share God’s love with in each person who crosses her counter? Can a truck driver use his solitary time for powerful prayer? What happens when work is about Jesus?

 

·         And what happens when home is about Jesus?! This doesn’t mean that all you do is study the Bible! It means when you play ball in the backyard, eat pizza for supper, and choose what to watch on television, you joyfully realize that there’s one extra member of your family with you at all times. Jesus is there. He’s part of your life, your family, and your conversations!

 

·         When Jesus is with us, we aren’t constantly pursuing the elusive goal of “happiness” and “pleasure.” Rather, he is our joy. And he helps us discover simpler (and less expensive) pleasures like gathering with fellow Christians and more purposeful conversations you’re your family … for wherever two or three are gathered in his name, he is there.

 

·         When Jesus is the focus of our lives, we are set free from so many complications in life. There’s forgiveness rather than the complexity of guilt. There’s hope rather than the anchors of regret. There’s confidence and simplicity of peace rather than the ravenous monsters of dread. There is freedom and offering and opportunity rather than legalism and expectations and duty.

 

·         When we know Jesus and grow in faith, we increasingly seek to live life his way. And think of the blessings …

 

o   of honesty rather than the maddening complexity of lies (Have you ever tried to keep all your lies and stories straight? Honest is easier and freeing.) …

o   of integrity rather than the complexity of sin (The consequences of sin always, eventually, and inevitably bring heartache.) …

o   of godly wisdom rather than the hit and miss nature of our changing opinions and the world’s changing morays …

o   of working toward forgiveness (even when it’s hard) rather than the complex, drowning, and never-ending baggage of bitterness.

 

That’s the benefits of making Jesus “the one thing” and the center of our life. Tomorrow, we’ll focus on how to do it … how to make Jesus not just a piece of your life, but the center of our lives.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants increasingly

to aim for the bullseye

 

(because that’s where Christ is

… in the center)

 

 

 

 

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