Who makes the decisions in your life? Who decides what you do, what interests you, what fuels your life passions? While others might influence these things, largely we are at the decision-making center of our own lives, aren’t we? We’re the ones that pursue dreams or put them off. We make our own choices of what fills our lives. We don’t control all our circumstances but we determine how we respond to them. In many ways, we are at the center of our lives. But how well does that work?

 

In a self-centered life, “Self” is sitting on the throne, making decisions which often result in frustration and disappointment. The random dots represent the chaotic issues of our lives that constantly bombard us. A self-centered life might know about Jesus (represented by the cross) but  mostly he remains on the outside of our life decisions. typically, we live for ourselves and look like everyone else.

 

In a Christ-centered life, we have the same issues but “Self” submits them to Jesus who sits on the throne of our life decisions. He replaces chaos and meaninglessness with order and purpose. We live for him. And our lives look “different.”

 

 

I’ve sometimes drawn this on a restaurant napkin or scrap of paper when visiting with someone and ask them, “Which circle represents your life?” I’ve found most people, sometimes even professing “Christians,” to be honest in pointing to the first circle. When I ask them which circle they’d like to represent their life, most folk point to the second circle. Whether they commit to it or not depends on who remains on the throne. It seems we like to be on the decision-making throne even when we recognize that we’re not so good at the job.

 

But Christians are not called to be like most people. We’re not called to be identified by our self-directed interests and hobbies. We’re called to be identified by the one who sits on the throne.  We’re not called to live meaningless lives that look like everyone else. Even though “Christian” is applied to a wide array of people and lifestyles, there is a singular calling of Christians to live Christ-centered lives that submit all the issues and interests to him.

 

Paul writes about this in 1 Corinthians 1:2. He reminds us we are “called to be holy.” We don’t hear much today about being holy. It’s not part of our normal vocabulary. To many it conjures the image of pious and “holier than thou,” people who set themselves up to be better than others. Actually, Webster’s dictionary defines holy as “Set apart for the service of God.” Paul reminds us we are called to be set apart for God, putting him on the throne of our decision-making, not self-centered like the rest of the world. I don’t know about you, but I frequently need that reminder; there are so many other things that could call me to their allegiance, so many ways to fill my life in the attempt to find purpose and meaning.

 

There are volumes written on the subject of holiness. Here are some of the ways Paul describes it (1 Corinthians 1):

 

• Holiness is always thanking God because he sustains us even in difficult times.
• Holiness keeps strong to the end. It doesn’t give up.
• Holiness seeks unity, not division.
• Holiness makes its purpose to live and preach the gospel.
• Holiness seeks God’s wisdom.

 

What does “called to be holy” mean to you?  What does it mean to you to be in the world, yet “set apart” from the world’s passions and ambitions?  If you’re honest with yourself, which of the above circles really represents your life? Which circle would you like to represent your life? Only you get to choose how you want to live. Let’s choose wisely.