Christ Centered

Mat 5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.


Giving up of self.


Jesus is teaching us, trying to teach us to give up our selfishness. We cling to it so desperately. The world revolves around…us. How could it be any different? Seriously, how can we take ourselves out of the center of our own existence. We've heard often the saying about somebody 'being their whole world'. A mother for a child- that child being the mother's whole world. A husband for a wife- that wife being the center of the husband's whole world. Or we hear that someone's job is their life. Of course we've ALL heard that we need to have a WELL BALANCED life without anyone becoming another's whole world. Well balanced meaning that instead of having your life revolve around anyone's or anything's world you have time for yourself, time for others, time for work, time for play- balance. What does Jesus want us to have? A well balanced life? I don't think so. Seriously, I think Jesus would have us have our life revolve around Him, because ONLY in Him can we find real life, real love. If our Savior is the center of ALL we do we are not in any danger of putting ourselves, anyone else, or anything else before our God. The only way our life is ever really balanced is in Christ. With Christ as the center of our lives then others will come first before ourselves and these words…


Mat 5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.


… will be understood.


Giving to others. If someone asks you to do something, doing that and more for them without their asking is truly us revealing Christ in us.


Do some people take advantage of those who are *good* to them, knowing they'll give more of themselves than asked? Yes. Can you feel taken advantage of if you are giving from your Christ-centered heart? Seriously? Can you? Doesn't selfishness demand we feel resentful, that we feel taken advantage of when someone truly does take advantage of us? This is why we TURN THE OTHER CHEEK. This is why we go TWO miles when we are only asked to go one. This is Christ, this is selflessness. We can NEVER feel taken advantage of if Christ is our center, never. He wants us to give, give, give even to the undeserving, or those we perceive as undeserving. We can never be deserving of Christ, He gives us undeserved love and forgiveness. We have to live our lives the same way towards others, not questioning whether anyone is deserving of our giving, of our love.


We are NOT the way. We are NOT the truth. We are NOT the life.
Christ is the way, the truth and the life!


These words of Christ are OTHER centered. Jesus came to SAVE us. Jesus' life was OTHER centered- God the Father first and others second. Never was Jesus to teach us to be self centered. Never were we commanded to love only ourselves, never. God and others- this should be our focus. God always first! It's wonderful to be other centered but only if we are God centered first, pulling in others to that center where God lives in us.


Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory


Christ in us!


By His grace!


Amen!