A God-Centered World
Jesus’ world is completely God-centered. Ours is predominantly me-centered, which is what most hinders a real, tangible, intimate relationship with Jesus. It is often hard to discern how different our ways are from His ways because no matter what kind of home we have been raised in, we acquire habits, behaviors, thought patterns, and reasoning from many sources other than Jesus Christ without even knowing it. And these become real to us and completely “normal” and acceptable. We don’t even realize how much our Christian life is flavored with the world.
Scripture tells us: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
We no longer want to be knowingly or unknowingly fused with the culture. We want Jesus. We need Jesus. We need our Immanuel to accomplish this work in us! We need to be God-Centered. We want our mind, our energies, and our heart focused more and more on Him and less on ourselves and our circumstances. We want Him and Him alone.
We can know Him more intimately than a spouse, a sister, a mother, or a life-long best friend. Can He be that real? I believe He can. His love for us and His interest in our lives is greater than we know. We underestimate what the Lord wants to be to us. We get in the way. It is my prayer, though, that He will take us out of the way. Make us God-Centered.
PRAISE HIM
Begin by praising God for sending His Son, the Living Word, the One who loves us with an everlasting love. Use John 1:14-18 – 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
ADMIT TO HIM
Put your pen to paper and make a list of the things you crave more than the Lord or that keep you from fully surrendering everything to the Lord. What do you hunger and thirst after? Acceptance? Popularity? Position? Perfection? Power? Success? Comfort?
THANK HIM
Take time now to thank Him for his willingness to be always waiting for you and always ready to hear your cry and come to your aid.
ASK HIM
Without holding back, ask Him now, in faith, to change your desires – that you would desire Him more than yourself or any other thing. Ask Him to help you want less and less of you until you can truly say, “Only Christ.”
TAKING THE TRUTH TO HEART AND BRINGING IT TO LIFE
Choose one truth from today and apply it to your heart. Take it with you throughout the day.
The Discipleship Journey
…in the region of Galilee by the Sea of Galilee. Jesus Calls His First Disciples 18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish… Continue reading The Discipleship Journey
Living your life’s purpose: Christ in you
Christ in you You’re made for a purpose – on purpose. As Christ dwells with you and lives in you, He equips you to live and fully embrace your life’s purpose. It’s time to discover what the Bible says about how God intends to work through you – and how he wants to shine His… Continue reading Living your life’s purpose: Christ in you
Facing Fear
1 Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack.2 My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me. 3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.4 In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to… Continue reading Facing Fear
Live Christ Centered 
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