This is the final segment in a three part series on how to live the "Centered Life." It flows from a conversation I had a couple of weeks ago with Leighton Ford. Leighton is a man who has dedicated his life to following Jesus. He is in his eighties. Has preached the gospel all over the world. Traveled with Billy Graham. Even married Billy's sister! He knows how demanding life can be and he has found a way to navigate it well. In my conversation with Leighton, I asked this question, "How do you find balance in life?" Leighton's response? "You don't." Balance is impossible because we simply cannot pour equal amounts of ourselves into everything we do. Further, it is based on the false notion that we can have it all...all the time. So Leighton encouraged me and my fellow young pastors to seek the "Centered Life." To seek to find Jesus at the center of everything we do and every relationship we enjoy. With our families. Friends. On soccer and baseball fields. At the gym. When we are in the office or on vacation. Trust Jesus when He says He is Emmanuel - God with us. Trust Jesus when He says He will be with us to the end of the age. Trust Jesus when He says He will never leave us or forsake us.
That's good news...that we too quickly forget! So how do we keep these thoughts at the forefront of our hearts and minds? We engage in four spiritual practices that help us find the center in life. We spend time alone with God each day. We spend time with God's family in worship each week. We build deep relationships with a small group of friends who can push us and encourage us to follow Jesus. And we find a place to serve. To give our life away for the sake of the Kingdom of God in this world.
It's this last part I want to focus on today. Once we find the Centered Life, we must give it away. It's not enough just to find this center for ourselves. Following Jesus is not a solo sport. It's not meant to be a purely individual experience. Yes, Jesus promises to always be with us but ONLY as we are seeking to fulfill the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations! Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. It is absolutely critical here to remember that Jesus' promise to abide with us. Jesus' promise to never leave us. Jesus' promise to always be with us is contingent in us being willing to walk as He walks! To go where He goes! To do as He does! To live as He lives! Jesus is on a mission! His mission is to reclaim the prodigal. Find the lost sheep. Recover the lost coin. His desire is that no one should perish and all should come to a knowledge of His truth!
So finding our "Center" in Jesus is not the end goal! It's not the finish line! Once we find our Center in Jesus, we can't stop! That would be selfish. Narcissistic. Sinful. No, once we find our life in Christ, we must go forth then to share it with others! Jesus once told his friends, those guys who committed to follow Him, that if they wanted to find their life...if they wanted to find their center...they first had to give their lives up. If they wanted to gain what Jesus had to offer, they had to relinquish what they were holding onto. If they wanted to follow Him, they had to leave their lives behind. You see, the centered life is not static! It is dynamic. It is moving. It is always pressing outward and upward even as it presses inward. It never is at rest because Jesus is never at rest! Finding our "center" in Christ means committing our lives to the dogged, relentless pursuit of Christ! It means following Him wherever He may go! It means taking the trails He takes! Walking in the paths He trods! Following in His footsteps no matter how hard or scary or exciting or uncomfortable things may get along the way! No matter how at odds it may put us with society. With our culture. With our neighbors. Even our family and friends.
Ultimately, it means we journey in such a way that it makes us different. It sets us apart for God's Kingdom and God's purposes. And as we walk with Jesus...the people around us who do not know Christ, who have not found their center, will start asking us why we are different. They will wonder what it is that makes us tick. They will find themselves intrigued by the way we love, the way we give, the way we serve, the way we do life in community. Jesus will draw them to us and then Jesus will give us the words to share so that they too might join up for the journey! So as you find your center in Christ, look for ways to help those around you do the same! Encourage them! Share with them the joy you've discovered! Let them in on the secret! The same Jesus who walks with you wants to walk with them!