333 Words

333 WORDS….

Only the Christ-centered can complete their commission, finish “the race”. And….

And those who do live a Christ-centered christianity will complete their commission.

Only One finished His race who was not Christ-centered, and that was….

The Lord Jesus. Savior Messiah was not Me-centered, He was Father-centered.

We can better understand what it means for us to be Christ-centered by determining what it meant for Lord Jesus to be Father-centered. It does make an interesting study.

Christ’s speech reveals that He was mindful of (His mind full of) the Father. Like all, He habitually referenced the One who captivated Him. The red words in your Bible are peppered with “Father”, “My Father”, “the Father”, “your Father”. Our Lord did the Father’s will, revealed the Father’s love, spoke the Father’s words, accomplished the Father’s works.

Christ’s agenda was not His own. He was not self-serving or self-anything. He was someone else’s servant, living for Another. “Not My will, but Yours, be done.” “Zeal for Your house consumes me.”

It was much easier for “Him who knew no sin” to be Father-centered than for us, quite familiar with sin, to be Christ-centered. Those less than determined will never be.

It would be easier for you to be Christ-centered if your neighbors were so. But they are not. We are actually immersed in a christianity whereby Christ is seldom referenced. Evangelicals (etcetera) reference themselves more than Christ, perhaps ten or twenty (or more?) to one.

The me-centered cannot possibly be Christ-centered, nor the church-centered, the ministry-centered, the family-centered, and yes, the Bible-centered.

For most, to get from where they are to a place where they will wish they had attained – upon entering eternity – is a lengthy, arduous journey few will attempt. Those brave and wise few will find a gentle shepherd/healer eager to partner with them in the ongoing sanctification process whereby self-life becomes, in time, “To live is Christ”.

Only “To live is Christ” christians can one day confidently say, “I have finished the race”.