The Center

December 18, 2018

“So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He’s the centerpiece of everything we believe.”

Hebrews 3:1MSG

“Take a good hard look at Jesus; he’s the centerpiece.” There is no better summary of the Christian life than this. Everything God does points to Christ, comes through Christ. People often talk about the “key” to Christian living as if success were found in this or that magic formula. I’ve read books and listened to preachers who reduce Christianity to a set of rules that if followed, guarantee happiness and success. Christian faith becomes more a matter of pop psychology than an encounter with the Divine. In reality, the sole challenge and focus of Christian living is keeping Jesus Christ at the center. 

We often act as if he is the icing on the cake instead of the Main Course. Our religion is often a veneer covering our self-centeredness with respectability. We look good, but it’s all on the surface. However, if we want to reach the heights, as the text says, keeping our eyes on Jesus is crucial. It’s almost like driving a car. If you don’t want to end up in a ditch, you keep your eyes on the road. It is absolutely crucial to do so.

It’s when we fail to do this that we get into trouble. I cannot think of a single instance of messing up that didn’t follow from taking my eyes off Christ. Remembering that he is the Centerpiece of my faith and keeping my eyes on him make all the difference between sin and salvation, sorrow and joy. I don’t do as well at it as I should, but Scriptures like this serve as a reminder to keep the Main Thing the Main Thing, bringing me back to the Center where I belong.