Lately I have been thinking about something my pastor said when we were talking about the first commandment (Exodus 20:3).  He said something I have been wrestling with for a while. He said Jesus shouldn’t be #1 he should be everything.  It is a profound statement. It really made me rethink my whole life. You see I always thought about Jesus asking me to take up my cross and follow him meant I should make him first. I thought that it meant I was supposed to go to church on Sunday, lead bible studies, do daily devotions, pray before meals and all those good Jesus things. I thought if I could do all those things then I could be a man who put God first.

As we all know, we can’t even meet this simple requirement.  I failed in praying everyday. I failed in reading my bible everyday. (I didn’t fail the “go to Church thing,” but its probably because I work for one.) As I have studied the scripture more and more I have seen Jesus not just call me to think about him first but to think about him in every situation. My life is different when I think of my spouse and think about how Jesus should be the center of that relationship. It is different to think about when I talk with my family it should have Jesus as the center. When I drive my car down the road and some crazy nut cuts me off and drives me off the road Jesus should be at the center of that situation.  If you don’t believe me look at Luke 15:25-27.

I suppose you could be reading this right now and think WWJD.  You know that catch phrase from the 1990’s. (What would Jesus do) If you are hearing that please listen again.  WWJD isn’t a terrible thing, I should try to follow his example. However when I talk about Jesus being the center of it all that isn’t what I am getting at. It also doesn’t make it any easier to remember what Jesus would do because well… I am not Jesus. I fail.  It doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try but that also shouldn’t be my focus.  The thing about this Jesus being the center of it all is Jesus is in those relationships, those situations in our life when we fail to put him at the center. When we fail Jesus is there to pick us up. When you think about those relationships we know Christ is in the middle of those relationships helping us through. Jesus is the one who gives us hope.

So I guess what I am saying is I don’t want Jesus to be number one. I want Jesus to be in all of it at the center. He is the one who changes me and those relationships so that He can be the center of it all.

So lets try this prayer.

Jesus be the center of my life.  I want to be your disciple, I will fail, but Lord help me to follow you and keep you as the center of it all.