Yesterday I was challenged to put Jesus not first, but center in my life. Not ahead of my marriage but at the center of my marriage. Not ahead of my family but at the center of my family. Not ahead of friendships but at the center of my friendships. Not ahead of my ministry but at the center of my ministry. Not ahead of the laundry but at the center of the laundry. Not ahead of our meals but at the center of our meals.
I am currently reading a book called The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations -- what does it mean to "lead" an entity that leads itself?
What does it mean to have Jesus at the center of my leadership? Not following blindly, but centering myself on his calling? I wonder if it won't be incredibly relaxing.... This morning I read the passage in John 6 where Jesus walks out to the disciples who are in the boat and immediately they reach their destination. It kind of makes me wonder if their voyage wouldn't have been a lot smoother had they just waited on Jesus to begin with. What prompted them to leave without him? Was it simply that it was getting dark? Did they know the wind and waves were going to pick up so they wanted to get to the other side before that happened? What was their rush? Or maybe, like in other stories, Jesus had sent them on ahead...so we could better experience his glory as he walked out to join them? Just think, instead of fighting the wind and waves they could have caught a few minutes of rest before they left. Or maybe the wind and waves seemed pretty tame compared to the crowds Jesus was contending with on the shore.
I wonder what lessons I will learn this year...about leadership...and about followership...
It reminds me of the lyrics:
Christ be the center of our lives
Be the place we fix our eyes
Be the center of our lives
