Refocusing

 "My old self has been crucified with Christ. 

It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. 

So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  

-Galatians 2:20

Living in our world today easily distracts us from the basics of faith and life in Christ.  The political race, wars, terrorism, the economy....and so much more easily takes our eyes off of the basics of living as Christ followers in a fallen and broken world.

This verse from Galatians 2 was one of the first verses I learned after coming to faith more than 50 years ago, but it's a verse I have to come back to over and over again.  It's a refocusing verse...a reboot verse, a way to get my life, heart, mind and attitudes once more on the important things.

"It's no longer I who live..."  In other words this life is no longer about me!  I have died and given up all right and title to me, but the world constantly invites me to reclaim my rights, my "needs", my desires.  It's easy to forget I died in Christ and now I am invited and encouraged to live a completely different kind of life...a crucified life, a life without demands or desires.  

It's a liberating life if you have lived it even for a moment.  But it goes against everything our culture advertises.  It's alien to the world we live in and it challenges me to live with open hands wanting nothing, demanding nothing, longing for nothing.

"but Christ lives in me."  I don't even know how to describe that.  Christ, the God man, the King of Kings now lives in ME.  That's amazing!  How could I ever demand my way, my will, my wishes when the king is in residence?  How could I not constantly live asking, "Lord, what do you want?"

"So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God"  Do I?  Do I really live trusting in the Son of God?  I must be honest....I don't do this well.  Apparently I struggle at this point because I haven't dealt with the earlier portions of this verse....but to live trusting the Son is profoundly liberating.  

Do I live in this body trusting the Son?  NO!  But I want to.  I want to want to.  Imagine what this would look like...it wouldn't matter who is president.  You wouldn't worry about the economy.  You would be one of the happiest people on the planet because you are trusting the Son of God.  I wonder how much we miss in life because we are focused on the things the world worries about?

"Who loved me and gave himself for me." This one who wants to live in my, take care of me, provide for my life proved his love by giving himself for me.  How could I do any less than give myself to him?

Refocusing.  We need it so badly in this day.  We need a refocus on the important thing.....Christ in you, the hope of glory.

If you struggle with the winds of culture, the storms of politics, the worries of the waves around you maybe you need a moment to refocus.  

The main focus of life is not

who is in the white house,

how the economy is doing,

how wars will affect us,

but

on this one thing-

Is Christ your King today?

Maybe it's time to refocus.