You are made for more than yourself

Let’s Set the Center Straight

​If God isn’t the center of your life, you are.  The center of your life will determine the outcome of your day, lead your perspective, determine your joy, create your schedule, and ultimately determine your life.  Problems are plentiful whenever a person decides to be the center of their own life.  Humans are not made to have the responsibility of making themselves happy and content.  I don’t know about you, but I am worn-out from trying to be more than I was ever made to be.  Below are some facts that should help us realize the importance of allowing God to remain the center of our lives.

”He [Jesus] existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together” (Colossians 1:17).  If you feel like things are falling apart, could it be that you’ve removed Christ from the center of your life?  Quit trying to hold everything together.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…” (Galatians 5:22-23).  When God is at the center, these amazing things won’t depend on your good days to happen. 

Also, remember that “you do not belong to yourself.”  You are the temple of God.  He “paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world” (1 Corinthians 6:19, 7:23).

​If you are in control, if you trust only on your own perspective, if this is all you see, if this is all you acknowledge, the outcome will be only what you can produce. It will leave you disappointed because you are made for more than what you can accomplish on your own. You are made for more than yourself.

Isaiah Pauley

Isaiah Pauley (MDiv, Midwestern Seminary) is the student pastor of Cross Lanes Baptist Church in Cross Lanes, WV. His wife is Jordon, and they have two boys, Dayton and Shepherd. He is the author of Multiply: A Gospel-Shaped Model for Accomplishing God’s Mission and REACH: Evangelism Meets Discipleship.

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