Article: What’s at Your Center?

Let us go back in time. All the way back to 900BC. Life was different back then… very different. At that moment in Israel’s history, they had a king you probably never heard of. His name was King Asa. Over the course of 400 years Israel had both good kings and bad kings. King Asa was a good king. Although his story was short, he should be remembered.

In 2 Chronicles 14:3-4, King Asa does something that we might shrug our shoulders at and say, “so what.” I would argue that there is a spiritual truth that is still relevant to us today.

“King Asa removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to obey his laws and commands.”

 During King Asa’s reign, Israel had a problem. Instead of being fully devoted to God, they worshipped and followed other gods too. King Asa knew this was not good for the people and that God entrusted him to lead. King Asa removed all the places of worship that were not consecrated to the God of Israel.

Not only did he act, but he also spoked to the people. He instructed them to “seek the Lord…”

 I get it, you are probably wondering what does this have to do with me and my life? King Asa is addressing the most important question of life itself. He gives us the answer, but the question is this, “What will be at the center of my life?”

People place many things at the center of their lives: careers, families, sports schedules, making money, hobbies and the list goes on. These are our false gods. A good gauge of what might be at the “center” of your life is two-fold. Our “center” can be easily identified by what we spend the most time and money on. Throughout of our lives, these “centers” might change based on circumstances.

King Asa reminds us that God should be at the center of our lives. No matter our age or circumstances, God is all we need. Jesus is our rock, our cornerstone and our firm foundation. Remember, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

Anything but Christ will eventually lead to disappointment. We humans are fairly predictable, once something let’s us down we begin the search for a new and improved “center” that will also let us down some day. However, if we turn to or turn back to Christ, know that he will lead you and bless you beyond imagination.

What do I mean by that?

With Christ as our center, he will help us answer other questions that are almost as important. Questions like: Can I be a person of integrity? (Yes with God’s help.) Can I make a difference in this world? (Yes with God’s help.) Can I inspire others? (Yes with God’s help.)

King Asa’s actions is a helpful reminder to me to stick with God because there is nothing like having Christ at the center of our lives leading us in paths of righteousness.

Speaking of “centers”, if you went to the center of the Bible (by chapter) you would find that Psalm 117 is right in the middle with an equal number of chapters before and after it. It is only two verses long. In the middle of the Psalm (the center verse of the center chapter) it says this, “For great is his love toward us.” What a great “center” verse!

Now if you went to the center of the Bible (by verse) you end up at Psalm 103:1-2. There are an equal amount of verses before it and after it. This is what it says, “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” What a response to having God at the center of our lives! I won’t forget all of God’s benefits, I hope you don’t either.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

 

 

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4 thoughts on “Article: What’s at Your Center?

  1. Home run! Another wonderful article Pastor Ben. It’s so comforting to know Hebrews 13:8.

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