Be Intentional #2 - Making Christ The Center Of Your Life Series

4. Bottom line: it’s not about you.

I came across this thought a few days ago, as I was reading The Purpose-Driven Life, by Rick Warren.

The thought to ponder for the first day is that it’s not about me. It’s all about Christ.

Colossians 1:16b (The Message)

Everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him.

The idea here is that we need to take our eyes off ourselves and onto Jesus. When we focus on Him, when we make Him the center of our lives, we start to think of things on a more eternal level.

We see the right place our work should take in our lives. The right place our family should take. The right place our recreation should take. The right place our relationship with God should take, which is first place.

A man once said that Christ is prominent in many men, but in only a few is He pre-eminent. In other words, in only a few lives is Christ the driving force in a person’s life.

It’s not about you – it’s about Christ.

5. Practical steps to making Christ the focus:

 Spend time daily in the Bible.

 Memorize Scripture.

 Consider how Jesus would conduct Himself in your situation.

 Ask the right questions:

 Is it right? (not “Is it legal?”)

 Does Scripture address this issue? If not, what is my basis for a decision?

 Will this reflect proper priorities?

(Honor God, honor family, honor others?)

 Will this be something I would not be embarrassed about God knowing about? (He does anyway!)

 If you are not sure, pray.

God wants you to be sure of His desires. Ask Him for wisdom.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

God doesn’t want His children to be embarrassed to walk with Him. Trust Him and His Word. You’ll not regret it.

Jesus is the focus of eternity. Jesus is the boss, the master. Jesus is the source of life, security, and significance.

With this in mind, let me challenge you this morning to submit to Him.

We are going to pray in just a minute. If you want to make that submission to Him this morning, you will have the opportunity to do that.

I will be asking you to put aside your agenda, and get on God’s agenda, asking Him to make His will known for you in whatever situation you are in.

You will be asking God to so invade your life with His Spirit that you will desire to please Him in loving obedience, trusting that He will supply all your needs, physically and spiritually.

The great Christian, Watchman Nee said, “I have never met a soul who has set out to satisfy the Lord and has not been satisfied himself.”

If you have the courage to do that today, then I invite you to pray with me right now. I pray that everyone hearing this will do that with me.

Yielding to Christ is opening the door to the wonderful full life He has for you. The full life that He paid for with His own blood.

If you have never trusted in Christ as your Savior and Lord, then I want to pray with and for you first.