This famous altarpiece from Wittenberg shows us how to live, breath, preach, and teach. The main thing is to keep Christ in the center. The Holy Spirit moves everyone: male and female, young and old. Jesus is the word of God embodied, real and active in our lives. When we keep Christ in the center our faith starts flowing. When Jesus is in the center, our life is balanced and blessed.

All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. (Eph. 1: 20-23, MSG, emphasis added)

Even if we are friends of Jesus but keep him in a corner, our life is not what it is meant to be: balanced and blessed. We are to seek first Jesus and then everything else will be given to us. We are also to keep Christ in the center because that is his rightful place. We are not the centerpiece of the universe, Jesus is. Only when we give the center stage for Jesus – in our lives, in our homes, in our speech, in our work – we find what we have been looking for all along: precious peace, unending joy, and flowing faith.

So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He’s the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful, but Jesus gets far more honor. A builder is more valuable than a building any day. Every house has a builder, but the Builder behind them all is God. Moses did a good job in God’s house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come. Christ as Son is in charge of the house. (Hebrews 3:1-6, MSG, emphasis added)

Lent is a good time for some spiritual spring cleaning. Sometimes we think Christ is in the center of our lives but when we let the Holy Spirit examine us we might be surprised.

We tend to forget that we are called to be Christ-like.
We tend to worship our own comfort more than Christ.
We tend to get spiritually lazy hence there might be a lot of cobwebs all over our soul.

Examine me, God! Look at my heart!
    Put me to the test! Know my anxious thoughts!
Look to see if there is any idolatrous way in me,
    then lead me on the eternal path!
(Psalm 139:23-24, MSG)

If Christ is not the centerpiece of your life and faith, ask God to rearrange your life and faith. God is more than happy to show us what needs to go and how to stay Christ-focused in the future. God loves us and wants to lead us on the eternal path. It’s called Jesus. Only Jesus.

 

Gracious God,
Forgive our self-centeredness.
Thank you for sending Jesus to us.
Enable us to make room for Christ
and keep him in the center.
Rearrange our life faith to please you.
Because we know that
without Jesus
we are nothing
and with him
we have everything.
In Jesus’ precious name,
Amen

Q4U: Why is it so hard to keep Christ in the center? What does help you to keep your life Christ-centered?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrims, as you make room for Christ in your life!

Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Linking up today with Thought-Provoking Thursday, Faith-filled Fridays