“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2).
GOD’S TRUTH WORKS IN BOTH THE temporal and the eternal. The eternal must be our focus while we work and function daily in the temporal world. Most all of our daily work can be done in our own strength if we don’t keep Christ on the throne of our thinking and actions.
Because man invariably looks at the outward results, we confuse the outcome with the process, and in doing so we buy into “the ends justifying the means.” This approach not only does not honor the Lord, it is “wood, hay and stubble” in the end (see 1 Corinthians 3:12). We must begin with and function from a heart in right relationship with the Lord. This heart relationship is the essence of an eternal life lived now, by Him, in us. We both live and lead from His indwelling Spirit within us. This is a new dynamic that changes our whole perspective and practice of leadership. Leadership is not first about results or performing; rather, it’s about a relationship.
“Any attempt to pursue both the claims of the temporal and the eternal is like holding on to two horses that are galloping in opposite directions. The simultaneous pursuit of the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of Christ is impossible—at any point, one or the other will prevail. Many have tried to have it both ways, but this can never be more than a matter of adding a thin spiritual veneer over the same furniture that is manufactured and promoted by the world system.
“It takes great risk to let loose of everything we have been taught to clamor after and control. It is never comfortable or natural to treasure the invisible over the visible, the promises of God over the promises of the world, the things that will not be fulfilled until the return of Christ over the things the world says we can have here and now. We want control and security on our own terms, yet the Scriptures tell us that the only true security comes from abandoning the illusion of control and surrendering ourselves unreservedly to the Person and purposes of God.” — Ken Boa, Conformed to His Image
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Purchase the Entire Devotional – “Experiencing Christ as Life and Leader”
The devotion above was taken from the 52-week Devotional entitled “Experiencing Christ as Life and Leader”.
Many give a mental assent to this teaching yet are often asking, “What do I do? What does Christ as life look like?“ Too often Christians err by moving too far to one side or the other—reducing the Christian life to a list of do’s and don’ts, or they actually do nothing.
These inspiring weekly devotions are just some of the actions that reflect the life of Christ in each of us, and they explore four areas as we follow the One Leader, Jesus Christ –
- A Foundational Focus
- A Personal Focus
- A Relational Focus
- A Missional Focus
Be challenged, encouraged, and spurred on to a deeper walk with Christ.
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