Weekly Overview:
This life is marked by a single choice: who or what will we center our lives around? This choice takes each of us down a path of decisions that shape who we are, what we feel, who or what we value, and what we will have accomplished at the end of our days. To center our lives around ourselves or the things of this world leads only to destruction. But, to center our lives around meeting with God fills each moment with the glorious abundance of God’s love, provision, and transcendent peace. May your life be marked by union with your Creator as we explore what it means to center our lives around meeting with God this week.
Scripture:“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13
Devotional:
What would our lives look like if we truly centered our time, energy, emotions, and pursuits around meeting with God? All of us choose to center our lives around something or someone. Every decision is made through the filter of what we most value. For some of us, we center our lives around ourselves. For others, we center our lives around the opinions of others. Still others choose to center life around a notion or concept, believing it to be of the highest value. My prayer is that we as the body of Christ would begin to center our lives here on earth around meeting with our Creator because he is absolutely the most worthy recipient of our highest value.
To center our lives around meeting with God is to place value on the absolute best thing. Psalm 84:10-12 says, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” When we place our trust and value in God, we position ourselves to live in blissful communion with the Father who loves us. Our God longs to meet with us. He longs for us to taste and see his goodness. It’s only in living for communion with our Creator above all else that we will experience the incredible, abundant life God longs to give us.
For most of my life I would have told you God was my center. I would have said that Jesus was my highest value. But my actions, time, thoughts, and emotions in no way reflected those statements. You see, we spend time with those we most love. We center our emotions, actions, and thoughts around whatever person or thing we most value. Unless our lives truly reflect a posture of being centered around Jesus, we must take an honest assessment of ourselves and ask God to help us make changes. We must bring our brokenness and sin before God and ask for his perfect help in transforming us into children marked by his presence.
Centering our lives around anything but Jesus will only lead us to disappointment and dissatisfaction. This world has nothing good to offer us. To center our lives around ourselves will only increase the burdens and stresses of this world. To center our lives around people will only lead to an emotional rollercoaster driven by the brokenness and frailty of others. And to center our lives around an idea or concept will only store up treasure as lasting as this already passing world.
Take time today to look honestly at your heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to reveal any ways in which your life isn’t centered around meeting with God. Confess any worldly or selfish pursuits and seek to center your life around incredible, boundless communion with your good and loving heavenly Father.
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on the importance of centering your life around meeting with God. Allow Scripture to stir up your heart to place the highest value in communion with your Creator.
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” Lamentations 3:25
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13
2. Where is your life not centered around meeting with God? Where have you been placing your value, energy, time, and emotions other than Jesus?
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you recenter your life today. Ask him to show you what it looks like to truly center your life around meeting with God. Make the decision to value relationship with God above all else.
“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” Psalm 84:10-12
“I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.” Proverbs 8:17
To truly center our lives around God is to free ourselves from the constraints of both the world and religion. God does not desire legalism in meeting with him. He is not angry with you for spending time with friends, entertainment, or other things you enjoy. He simply wants to be the chief longing of your heart. He wants to be with you as you spend time with friends, family, entertainment, and anything else your heart desires. Of course he wants you to meet with him in the secret place. Of course he wants you to follow his leadership if he guides you away from something. But as your heart grows to be truly his, you will begin to want the things he wants. You will begin to spend your time as it can best be spent. And you will begin to truly center your life around the goodness you can only find in the presence of your heavenly Father. May your day today be marked by the simplicity and joy of communing with a good, near, and loving God.
Extended Reading: Psalm 84
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