Who is in the Middle?

The speaker at Ignite tonight, JP Pokluda, delivered an awesome message about the downfall of "us in the middle." When we put ourselves in the center of our lives, we set ourselves up for disaster. This mentality leads us only in the direction of failure. 

When we grow up, everyone is a winner. Everyone gets a prize. We are told that we are all rockstars. Even as we grow older we fall into this trap of obsessing over ourselves as being number one. JP gave an awesome modern day example of this when he read us the Christian appropriate lyrics of Drakes "The Motto." It goes a little something like this: 

Now she want a photo
You already know though
You only live once ‒ that’s the motto baby YOLO
And we 'bout it every day, every day, every day
Like we sittin’ on the bench, baby we don’t really play
Every day, every day, F what anybody say
Can’t see 'em 'cause the money in the way
Real baby what's up?

Now as funny as this was listening to a middle aged man speak the words of this rap, I couldn't help by being kind of taken back by the lyrics. We as college students listen to this stuff, and we can't believe this. It will mess us up. It brain washes us. We often find ourselves using God for what we want, whether it be grades, money, a boyfriend/girlfriend etc. We want to become great in the eyes of ourselves and others. Whoever wants to become great must serve. We're not going to be great, but He is going to be great. We are going to serve and love and care for people. JP said, "We can't follow the King and be the King." We continuously ask "what's in it for me?" And this distracts us from who Jesus is. We need to ask Him how can we serve Him, and how can we spend our lives poured out, loving people. 

Satan wants to take our attention and focus it on ourselves to distract us from the Kingdom. We must focus on the desires of God instead. Selfish ambition is fuel from Satan. God comes from full opposition, He gives Grace. We can't handle a life in the middle. We must live for Him and nothing else. We did nothing to be saved. This blows my mind every time I think about it. Take a look at your life, is the Gospel at the center of it? JP later asked this question, "if it was illegal to be a Christian, would they have enough evidence to convict you?" Are we at the center of it all or are we making Jesus the center? We are given our gifts and talents for God. These abilities are entrusted to us from Him. Are we using them to glorify Him? He will multiply our talents for Him. If we put the Son in the middle, everything else will be held in place. 

He is the greatest, live for Him

Courtney