Are You God-Centered or Self-Centered? Day 6:

Because God is preeminent, the more we know him, the more we understand ourselves and our world. It is in ruminating over his ways that we are equipped to know ourselves and to be who he created us to be. In order to live a God-centered life, we must focus our lives around God’s purposes and ways, and not our own plans and schemes. We must seek to see things from God’s perspective, not our own incomplete and distorted viewpoint. Living a God-centered life means that we must deny ourselves (our sinful nature) and seek only to do God’s Will. Then God can accomplish His purposes through us which will also yield great blessings as we walk in the light and in the Spirit. The fruit of self-centeredness produces death. Succumbing an unhealthy love of ego is not honoring or glorifying to God. Ironically, by placing our own wants and demands over others' needs, we will gain only destruction and ruin. When we're self-centered, obsessed about fulfilling our every desire, we make idols of ourselves. Self-centeredness is rebellion against God because it shows that we would rather live for ourselves than for Him. Self-centeredness elevates ourselves above God. We cannot truly live for God if we're really only worshiping ourselves. Jesus is clear that we are to deny our selfish inclinations and desires if we're to follow Him. This principle is paramount to the Christian faith and is the opposite of self-centeredness. "Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ" Ephesians 4:13-15 (NKJV).

Self-centered:

1. Life focused on self

2. Proud of self and self accomplishments

3. Self-confidence

4. Depending on self and one’s own abilities

5. Affirming self

6. Seeking to be acceptable to the world and its ways

7. Looking at circumstances from a human perspective

8. Selfish and ordinary life

God-centered:

1. Confidence in God

2. Dependence on God and His ability and provision

3. Life focused on God and His activity

4. Humble before God

5. Denying self

6. Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness

7. Seeking God’s perspective in every circumstance

8. Holy and godly living

Like Jesus, we should not be focused only on ourselves but on others. Like Jesus, we should be sacrificially devoted to one another and God's Kingdom. Like Jesus, we should consider the needs of others just as important as ours. For example, if we're concerned about needing food and shelter, we ought to be concerned about others needing food and shelter. When we truly change our focus to loving outwardly, we center ourselves on God. When we're God-centered, we're following Christ's example. God-centeredness kicks self-centeredness to the curb and says to our sinful nature, “You're no longer in charge here!” Jesus told us that we must die to self and hate our life in this world in order to receive God’s honor. "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor" John 12:24-26 (NKJV).