Are You God-Centered or Self-Centered? Day 5:

God-centered people are not self-centered. God-centered people pay less attention to the applause of this world, because their motivation is the anticipation of hearing the words “Well done!” when this life is over. Their focus is on becoming more like Jesus rather than acquiring fame and fortune for themselves. A. W. Tozer wrote that “the goal of every Christian should be to live in a state of unbroken worship,” and the God-centered (or Christ-centered) person finds this a delightful goal. The essence of sin is the shift from a God-centeredness to a self-centeredness. To know God’s will, we must turn away from self-centeredness. To be self-centered: life is focused on self, we are proud of self and your own accomplishments, we have confidence in self, a dependence on self and our own abilities, seeking acceptance from the world and its ways, selfish and ordinary living. To be God-centered: we have confidence in God, dependence on God and on his abilities and provision, life is focused on God and his activities, we have humility before God, denying self, seeking first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and seeking God’s perspective in all circumstances, holy and godly living. Our goals for experiencing God, basically to know and do the will of God. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28 (NKJV).

God, Not Self, Is Preeminent All things were created through Jesus and for Jesus. He is before all things and holds all things together. "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist" Colossians 1:16-17 (NKJV). Conversely, self-reflection is helpful, but not preeminent. It is useful, but not ultimate, to search one’s heart, or to know one’s motives, or to evaluate one’s gifts. But our God alone is preeminent. He is the answer to our questions: why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing? What is my calling? How am I wired? Our Creator and sustainer, not ourselves, holds the key. The age of self, with its focus on self-help, makes us forget that we fall woefully short and are beyond self-redemption. The truth is, we need a Savior, and we need to center our lives on him. In everything he is preeminent. "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence" Colossians 1:18 (NKJV).

We must deny ourselves and return to a God-centered life.

We must reorient our life to God.

We must focus our life on God’s purposes and not our own plans.

We must seek to see from God’s perspective rather than from our own distorted human perspective.

We must wait until God shows us what He is about to do through us.

We must watch to see what God is doing around us and join Him.

So we are trying to create a concept of God-centeredness which draws people out of themselves. People do not understand it, they’ve never tasted it, “You must embrace God’s God-centeredness to know what I’m talking about.” We can't blame people who have not been taught for stumbling over God’s God-Centeredness, because the Bible says we shouldn't be self-centered. "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others" Philippians 2:3-4 (NKJV).