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The Center Is Self, the Margin Is Disorder

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Sunday entries are taken from the classic devotional series In Christ by E. Stanley Jones.

CONSIDER THIS

Everything which is transferred from the kingdom of self to the kingdom of God has life—eternal life. It has security—eternal security. Everything transferred from the kingdom of God to the kingdom of self has death—eternal death.

Yesterday we saw a pastor dramatically step from life to death, but here is a pastor’s wife who, though less dramatically, just as certainly stepped from life to death by stepping out of Christ into herself. She pulled me aside into the pastor’s study and said: “Most of my life I’ve tried to charm people to myself. I’ve been the center of all I’ve done. Now everyone has found me out. Everything has tumbled around me. Even my little boy has found me out, and I’ve lost my influence with him.” Her self, taken out of Christ and made the center, became insecure—automatically. This losing of God and self amid religious surroundings is depicted in Isaiah 58:1–4:

Cry aloud, spare not . . . declare to my people their transgression . . . Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways . . . they delight to draw near to God. “Why have we fasted, and thou seest it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and thou takest no knowledge of it?” Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and fight

A religious people had inwardly stepped out of God into themselves—”you seek your own pleasure” (v. 3). Therefore, the heavens were brass, and religion turned into a vast futility. The futility turned to fight. Out of sorts with God, they became out of sorts with themselves and others—“you fast only to quarrel and fight” (v. 4). The center was self and the circumference disorder.

THE PRAYER

O Blessed Father, life is hard if we step out of Thee and easy if we stay with Thee. The way of the transgressor is hard on him and on others. Amen.

AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY

His yoke is easy and His burden is light, for they fit me as a glove fits the hand.

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WHAT IS THIS? Wake-Up Call is a daily encouragement to shake off the slumber of our busy lives and turn our eyes toward Jesus. Each morning our community gathers around a Scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a few short questions, inviting us to reorient our lives around the love of Jesus that transforms our hearts, homes, churches, and cities.

Comments and Discussion

One Response

  1. Our self-focused desires are never fully satisfied. If we don’t learn to resist them, they will dominate and define us. The grace that makes us citizens of the kingdom of God gives us the desire and the power to deny self.

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