'For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.' Colossians 1:16(ESV)
As I read this scripture the other day, I was struck by the last part of that verse, 'all things were created through him and for him.'
ALL THINGS.
THROUGH HIM.
FOR HIM.
It was a good reminder that it's about Him, not me. And to be honest, it was a timely and necessary reminder for me. With Christmas and New Year just past, it is easy for us to forget that it is not about us. Life can so easily take over and we get caught up everything that comes along with it; relationships, work, social expectations and pressures, health and wealth all strive for top spot in our lives and we start to lose sight of Him.
I don't know about you but for me, I found that in the madness of Christmas and New Year (and my birthday) I put myself first. It was all about me. I put Him second to the pressures and expectations of this life when really, He should be front and centre at all times. Because all things were created through Him and for Him.
All things, including us. Especially us.
This verse is a reminder that we were created by Him and for Him. God created us and we are His Masterpiece, here to use our story for His glory. It's not about us, or our relationships or ministries or careers. Not that any of these are bad things in and of themselves because they are not, they are wonderful things, but they are not the end goal. Being more like Jesus and pointing as many people to Jesus as possible is the end goal. Helping people encounter their Creator and Saviour is the end goal. For us to do that, we need to keep Him in the centre of everything. We need to keep our eyes fixed on Him and offer ourselves to Him to use for His glory.
When we keep Him as the focus and remember that it's not about us, we can experience a new type of freedom. One that allows us to step out from under the expectations that society puts on us. When we live for Him and make everything about Him, everything shifts; our hearts and minds and emotions all shift and start to move in unison towards Him. We fix our vision on Him, not others, and we start to walk in the direction He has set out for us. Our actions shift and we start to walk more intentionally in HIS Ways and in His LOVE. We start walking in freedom knowing that we are loved and held close by our Father.
A life walking in the ways of Jesus can be difficult at times. At times, it's downright crushing but it's worth it. It's worth it because being loved by the Father is better than anything this world could offer. Knowing that we are loved with an everlasting love is worth the sacrifice. When we make it about Him, we can rest knowing that we are securely in our Father's arms being made more like Jesus. And there is no better place to be in than that.
Lays Halawe is a Sydney based coffee loving nonfiction writer
and blogger. She has published a short devotional, Love By Devotion, and shares her views on life and faith via
her blog page Looking In . You can connect with her online at:
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