The Center of It All

Have you ever heard of Nicolaus Copernicus? Unless you're a science major, this name may seem unfamiliar. But, the discover that he made is one that we still live by to this day. Up until the 16th Century, everyone believed in a geocentric system, in which the earth was the center of our system. But, in 1514, Copernicus presented a different view, a heliocentric system, in which the sun was the center of our system, and everything revolved around it. 

In truth, this is the same way in our spiritual lives. You see, before you placed your faith in Christ, we lived in a self-centered life, where everything we desired, we fulfilled and gave in to. "If it feels right, do it" is a common mantra of this view. 
"For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness..." Romans 6:19

This is how we were, we were seeking how we could glorify our own bodies. We made ourselves lord of our lives, and everything we did was for our own personal glory. We were conceited, selfish, prideful, greedy, jealous, and so much more. Everything that was done, was done to promote self. 

But there came a time in our lives, or a time that I pray if you have not experienced yet you will open yourself up to, in which Christ took over our hearts, we surrendered to Him, and made Him Lord of our lives. 

In that moment, we went from self-centered to Christ-centered. "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." Romans 6:13

Here's the thing about a Christ-centered lifestyle, it changes how we view the purpose of our lives. It changes how we go through difficulties, how we interact with our neighbors, how we spend our money, our time, and our efforts. 

The reason is because it takes us from thinking that everything in this life is about us, and realizing that everything in this life is about Christ, and for His glory. 

"I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins." Isaiah 43:25

"everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made." Isaiah 43:7 

"The people whom I formed for Myself, that they might declare My praise" Isaiah 43:21

Paul came to this realization as he was writing his second letter to the Corinthians. We don't know what it was, but he had some form of ailment, or thorn, as he called it. Maybe it was the severity of the beatings and lashes that he received, never fully recovering (2 Corinthians 11:24-27). Maybe it was that he never regained full vision from the blindness after receiving the revelation from Jesus (Acts 9:1-18). Maybe it was a spiritual matter, continually struggling with the same temptation over and over (Romans 7:15-25). Maybe it was something entirely different. But what we do know is that Paul pleaded and begged with God three different times to remove it from him. A self-centered view would hate God for not healing him, but that's not what Paul has, he is Christ-centered. "But He said to me,  'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. 

God has called you for His glory, and when we truly realize that it is all for His glory, it changes our view of everything. 

The temptation is to be self-centered, but we are called to be Christ-centered. 

May God be glorified in our lives this day, and every other, until He calls us home!