Where is Jesus Supposed to be?
I read a blog by Pastor Steven Furtick that inspired me to post this blog.
I love the month of January. I’m an extremely goal-oriented individual and I’ve discovered that reprioritizing and recalibrating your life is an essential action if you really want to actualize your potential. The month of January is the month for this to happen… but before you do, consider this…
I’m learning that many people in church have trouble with this or they fail miserably because of a spiritual ignorance. You see, most people think that they have to put JESUS first before anything else – but that’s not the case!
Before you decide to stone me, please keep reading…. By adopting the mentality of placing Jesus FIRST before anything then it implies that we ignore other things, i.e. our family or our careers. We believe that to spend time with Jesus or to work for Him we have to pull away from these other things. We want to put Jesus first but find it hard to swallow to immense sacrifice in order to do so.
SO WHAT’S THE ANSWER??
The essential problem with the thought of “putting Jesus first” is that it segregates the different priorities of life. We begin to compartmentalize areas of our lives by labeling them as “Jesus or Church” and the rest as “secular.” We give more value to the church stuff at first, but later begin to feel guilty and condemned when we have to put in “more time” with the non-church stuff.
I don’t think this is the way it was ever supposed to work. Colossians 1:15-20 repeatedly tells us that Jesus is already first before and over everything. But it also says that all things were created through and for Him. That in Him all things hold together. The aim of Christ was to reconcile all things to Himself.
So Jesus is first; He is first in order; He is first in importance and He is the first in thought. But He is so because He is the center of everything. The thing that is at the center of your lives is the thing that is ultimately first.
It’s not Jesus, then my family, but Jesus in my family. It’s not Jesus, then my career, but Jesus in my career!
I’ll share more on this during our Family Night Service. Thank-you Pastor Steven…
Blog Entry #5 – Still Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
Gal. 2:20(KJV), “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. ”
To confess and live out, that Christ has first place in our life is to accept what Gal.2:20 declares. Now following that thread leads us to accept, that we no longer do things that bring us any personal satisfaction. For after all everything that we say and do now brings glory to the Father, and this is a good barometer to test if we are dead to ourselves and alive in Christ. To expand this verse further, there are no other meaning, purpose, or desire for life unless Christ fills it all.
Well Jesus is suppose to be in everything you do because without the lord in your life you will never go forward.
As JESUS is IN and WITH me. As a saved person I have devoted my life for
the glory of GOD’S kingdom shinning my light into this world. The only way
I can do this is showing GOD’S love to family, friends and new people who
come into my life. Letting all who come in contact with me by sharing HIS
grace and mercy will guide them to be saved. Whatever function I am
attending JESUS is there in my heart, spirit and actions.
You have given me a lot to think about Sir.
He Is suppose to be everywhere If not thw world would be sinful and unrightous.
Good Word. In the years I have been a Christian I have heard this many times, God must be the center of every aspect of my life. I am made of flesh so at times do fall short but work hard in making sure that everything and everywhere I go Christ is in me. I am made in His image and must represent Him always through my actions and reactions.
Thank you Pastor. I remember you teaching in the past about Jesus being the center of our “life wheel” but I’ll admit I still struggled with the concept of “putting Him first” and thought that meant that other things in life must take a back seat to church and time with God. Of course I was unable to keep that up and felt guilty afterwards. Thank you for opening up my eyes to look at this in a new way.
I never thought of it that way. Well thank God for always being there.
Ok I got it. Whatever we do, we most include Jesus in the midst because He has always been there and He was there when He created everything. Also God created us with different desires and goals. We most do it with Jesus in mind at all times.
pastor you had me saying what u talking bout willis on that one based on last sunday message but I kept reading and pulled out my bible. I have really enjoyed ur blogs and ur teaching.
That messed up my thinking when I heard it a Family night. I took it literally when I was taught to put God first. Even during the teaching I was fighting that this was the case but it all made sense in the end. Christ needs to be the center of everything that we do.