To be Christ Centred
Last post, I started talking (typing) about the Christian need to have a defined focus. Lately, I have been looking and thinking a lot about the focus that Paul had, particularly as he puts it in Philippians 1:21. Consider "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain."
This is not just a focus but a definition. Paul equates his life with Christ. To take this phrase literally is to say that life=Christ. This is also to say (since an equation must always be balanced) that to be in life=to be in Christ, or to not have life=to not have Christ.
How much do we as Christians actually tend to live our lives according to Christ? How many of us can actually say that our life is defined by Christ and what He has commanded and what He has done for us? I should be inclined to think that the reality is far fewer than we would like (myself included).
I have heard C.S. Lewis quoted (though I could not give a reference) as saying that "the devil's greatest feat is to convince 20th century amn that he does not exist." I would say that this acurately sums up Satan's great ploy for teh 20th century, but here in the 21st century he seems to have a different ploy; distraction. We have more things to occupy our time than any other generation in the history of the world. We have television, computers, movies, games, instant messaging, instant pictures, instant dinners; we have more things to do, and more time to do them than was ever imaginable before. Somehow in all of this, we do not have time, nor does it seem inclination, for God.
I do not have a problem with technology, or with any of the things mentioned above, so much as I have problems with the callous human hearts that become addicted to such contrivances (yes the irony of complaining about addiction to technology over the internet is not wasted on me!). The problem is that we no longer come home from work, eat supper withour families and then spend time reading God's word, or in prayer, or in teaching our children; instead we come home, eat in front of the tv, and then spend the rest of the evening either watching tv or in front of the computer. The issue is not what we do or don't do, but how we prioritize them.
Most of us have no idea what it is to be truly committed to Christ; to actually live a different life because of His role in our lives. My encouragement to all believers would be to strive daily to grow in our relationship with Him to the point where someday we can say as Paul that "for me to live is Christ."
This is not just a focus but a definition. Paul equates his life with Christ. To take this phrase literally is to say that life=Christ. This is also to say (since an equation must always be balanced) that to be in life=to be in Christ, or to not have life=to not have Christ.
How much do we as Christians actually tend to live our lives according to Christ? How many of us can actually say that our life is defined by Christ and what He has commanded and what He has done for us? I should be inclined to think that the reality is far fewer than we would like (myself included).
I have heard C.S. Lewis quoted (though I could not give a reference) as saying that "the devil's greatest feat is to convince 20th century amn that he does not exist." I would say that this acurately sums up Satan's great ploy for teh 20th century, but here in the 21st century he seems to have a different ploy; distraction. We have more things to occupy our time than any other generation in the history of the world. We have television, computers, movies, games, instant messaging, instant pictures, instant dinners; we have more things to do, and more time to do them than was ever imaginable before. Somehow in all of this, we do not have time, nor does it seem inclination, for God.
I do not have a problem with technology, or with any of the things mentioned above, so much as I have problems with the callous human hearts that become addicted to such contrivances (yes the irony of complaining about addiction to technology over the internet is not wasted on me!). The problem is that we no longer come home from work, eat supper withour families and then spend time reading God's word, or in prayer, or in teaching our children; instead we come home, eat in front of the tv, and then spend the rest of the evening either watching tv or in front of the computer. The issue is not what we do or don't do, but how we prioritize them.
Most of us have no idea what it is to be truly committed to Christ; to actually live a different life because of His role in our lives. My encouragement to all believers would be to strive daily to grow in our relationship with Him to the point where someday we can say as Paul that "for me to live is Christ."
posted by dohmnal at 11:48 AM
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