Jesus at the Center

This morning after prayer, all I kept hearing over and over again was “Jesus at the center of it all.” It sounds so simple and yet can be difficult. So often we say that Jesus is our everything but is He really? Do our lives and the choices we make, reflect that? Today, I don’t have anything deep to say other than to encourage you to refocus your attention on Christ. We have seen terror and grief this week in Boston. Parents have lost children, people have lost jobs, someone has lost faith but even in this Jesus lives. There comes a time that we must surrender everything to God. Some of us continue to carry weights that we shouldn’t be bearing. Some of us are holding on to hurts that God wants to heal. Some of us are crying out but not releasing. This is the season to let it go and put Jesus back where He belongs…at the center of our lives.

Jesus is alive and sitting on the right hand of the Father. He is interceding for us and advocating on our behalf. He gave His life so that we could live. For that reason, we need to place our hearts in His hands and let Him work. Let Him save. Let Him deliver. It doesn’t really matter at what stage you find yourself in life, He is able and willing to address any situation. I love what Hebrews 4: 14 – 16 says about Jesus and who He is to us. “Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” (MSG) Jesus, be the center of it all.

I encourage you to reach out your hands to Christ today. Put Him at the center of your life.  If you’re grieving, don’t carry that burden for one more day. If you’re sick, put that diagnosis where it belongs at the altar because He has already taken care of it.  I can speak as a witness that God hears every concern that you have and is working on your behalf. If you let Him, He will send you the answer.  I know how hard it is to let go of something that you’ve carried for so long that it’s become your companion. But now…it’s time. Jesus, be the center of it all.

Imagine this; you’re at your house preparing for a trip. You have your suitcase out and start putting things in. As you pack, it gets heavier and heavier. Finally, after a struggle, you close the bag and are ready to take it to the car. Jesus appears and asks for the bag. He offers to carry it for you but you say that you have it under control. You struggle to get down the stairs, dropping the bag several times, a couple of times, you even fall. All the while, Jesus asks you to let Him carry it. Finally after getting it downstairs, you are exhausted with little strength left to lift it into the car so you ask Jesus to lift it for you. He takes the bag from you and you are amazed at how quickly your strength returns.  You turn to thank Jesus and He tells you that He was there the whole time waiting to help if you would have just let Him carry it. Jesus wants to be your everything and carry your load because He cares for you. Stop volunteering your services for something you are unequipped to handle on your own.

Today, I invite you to realign your life so that Jesus is at the center and let everything else fall into place behind Him. In the words of Israel Houghton, “Nothing else matters. Nothing in this world will do. Jesus you’re the center, everything revolves around you. From my heart to the heavens, Jesus be the center. It’s all about you!”

AMEN...