“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33, NLT)
For centuries, many humans believed that the sun revolved around the earth. They believed that, in essence, the earth was the center of the universe. It wasn’t until the time of Galileo that the Western World began to question this belief. A study of the night sky and probes into outer space proved we are not even close to the center of the Milky Way, let alone the entire known stellar sky. This belief that everything revolves around the earth is called “earth-centrism”.
Closely aligned with earth-centrism is ego-centrism. This is where a human being believes that everything in his or her existence revolves around his or her own experience. Those who are ego-centric hold out that their own decisions affect not only their situation but also the entire universe. However, ego-centric people so inflate their own opinions that they project this view upon the rest of the world. They usually view their own ideals at the center of everything in life. It is a very selfish way of living. People who are ego-centric tend to be the most spoiled, egotistical, wasteful, and defensive of all others. Ego-centrists believe everything should come second to their own needs.
Religiously, humans have gone through stages where they put themselves at the center of everything. In ancient Egypt, for example, many pharaohs saw themselves as divine and demanded to be worshipped. While you might think the worship of a human figure is rather foolish, there is a common belief among “modern” people that combines ego-centrism with the worship of the self. This is called humanism. Humanism promotes the view that everything should be done to benefit the human species, first and foremost. Humanistic philosophy revolves around the idea that human achievement and thought and ideals and reason are so remarkable that they deserve to be placed above all other beliefs. In its religious form, humanism promotes the worship of human reason and human existence. Humanism puts human beings at the center of the universe, where all life needs to revolve around human reason (as if human reason can’t be irrational and emotional and detrimental to life!).
To shed some light on this humanistic form of religion, Robert Bellah wrote a book called Habits of the Heart. In that book, Bellah examined through sociological eyes how society views religion. His research found that 81 percent of American people believe that “an individual should arrive at his or her own religious belief independent of any church or synagogue” (or God!). These humanistic Christians and religious people may claim to believe in God, but their humanistic behavior tells another story. They believe and worship what they understand. Their reason determines what they believe, who they believe, which stories of the Bible are true, and what is right and wrong. By way of example, Bellah included in his book a remark by a woman named, Sheila. When interviewed, Sheila explained “I believe in God. I just can’t remember the last time I went to church. But my faith has carried me a long way. It’s ‘Sheila-ism’. Just my own little voice.”
Many modern religious people are under the same delusion as Sheila. They believe their own humanistic forms of religion are worthy of worship. Rather than worshipping God, they worship their own reason, their own ideals of right and wrong. They have placed themselves in the center of their own religious universe.
True godly faith requires that you never place yourself at the center of your beliefs. Instead, true Christianity places Jesus at the center of one’s faith. God is first. Pleasing God is most important. Worshipping God is central to being faithful. You are not the center of your religious life. God is. You are not to determine what is right and wrong. God has already done that. You don’t go to worship “to get something out of it” or “to become a better person”. You go to worship to give praise and adoration to God. You worship out of commitment to God. You live to please God. God in Jesus Christ is the center of your universe.
The scripture for today gives Jesus’ take on God-centered living. In these verses from the gospel of Matthew chosen for today, Jesus explained that faithful people need to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else” (Matthew 6:33a). Other versions of the Bible state that you should “Seek first the Kingdom of God”. Everything else is secondary. When God is at the forefront of your world, everything else will fall into place; “he [God] will give you everything you need…” (Matthew 6:33b).
As people remove God from the center of life, all kinds of problems erupt. Then, all kinds of basic human needs go unfulfilled. Sin always follows. Selfish thoughts creep in. Humanism takes hold. Life becomes tenuous. Satan’s temptations sound more believable. When society pushes God out of the center of life, all kinds of sufferings soon abound. Politicians become power-hungry. Priests and pastors set up little fiefdoms in their parishes. Schools become breeding grounds for immorality. Sinfulness becomes rampant. People become greedy, impatient, selfish, arrogant, and rude. The world becomes much more dangerous. Life becomes “dog-eat-dog”. Humans devolve into animals. War becomes the norm.
If anything ever takes the place of God at the center of your universe, look for bad times to follow. You may even think yourself religious or holy, but you are neither. True faith involves holding fast to God. For Christians, Jesus must be at the core of your everyday decisions, and the Holy Spirit needs to be your constant Advisor (see John 14:16!)
When push comes to shove, who or what is at the center of your universe? Is Jesus your Savior or just a religious figure? True faith means submitting yourself to God, obeying God’s way of life, and following where God leads. Does God come first or second or third in your decisions, actions, and worship?
Closely aligned with earth-centrism is ego-centrism. This is where a human being believes that everything in his or her existence revolves around his or her own experience. Those who are ego-centric hold out that their own decisions affect not only their situation but also the entire universe. However, ego-centric people so inflate their own opinions that they project this view upon the rest of the world. They usually view their own ideals at the center of everything in life. It is a very selfish way of living. People who are ego-centric tend to be the most spoiled, egotistical, wasteful, and defensive of all others. Ego-centrists believe everything should come second to their own needs.
Religiously, humans have gone through stages where they put themselves at the center of everything. In ancient Egypt, for example, many pharaohs saw themselves as divine and demanded to be worshipped. While you might think the worship of a human figure is rather foolish, there is a common belief among “modern” people that combines ego-centrism with the worship of the self. This is called humanism. Humanism promotes the view that everything should be done to benefit the human species, first and foremost. Humanistic philosophy revolves around the idea that human achievement and thought and ideals and reason are so remarkable that they deserve to be placed above all other beliefs. In its religious form, humanism promotes the worship of human reason and human existence. Humanism puts human beings at the center of the universe, where all life needs to revolve around human reason (as if human reason can’t be irrational and emotional and detrimental to life!).
To shed some light on this humanistic form of religion, Robert Bellah wrote a book called Habits of the Heart. In that book, Bellah examined through sociological eyes how society views religion. His research found that 81 percent of American people believe that “an individual should arrive at his or her own religious belief independent of any church or synagogue” (or God!). These humanistic Christians and religious people may claim to believe in God, but their humanistic behavior tells another story. They believe and worship what they understand. Their reason determines what they believe, who they believe, which stories of the Bible are true, and what is right and wrong. By way of example, Bellah included in his book a remark by a woman named, Sheila. When interviewed, Sheila explained “I believe in God. I just can’t remember the last time I went to church. But my faith has carried me a long way. It’s ‘Sheila-ism’. Just my own little voice.”
Many modern religious people are under the same delusion as Sheila. They believe their own humanistic forms of religion are worthy of worship. Rather than worshipping God, they worship their own reason, their own ideals of right and wrong. They have placed themselves in the center of their own religious universe.
True godly faith requires that you never place yourself at the center of your beliefs. Instead, true Christianity places Jesus at the center of one’s faith. God is first. Pleasing God is most important. Worshipping God is central to being faithful. You are not the center of your religious life. God is. You are not to determine what is right and wrong. God has already done that. You don’t go to worship “to get something out of it” or “to become a better person”. You go to worship to give praise and adoration to God. You worship out of commitment to God. You live to please God. God in Jesus Christ is the center of your universe.
The scripture for today gives Jesus’ take on God-centered living. In these verses from the gospel of Matthew chosen for today, Jesus explained that faithful people need to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else” (Matthew 6:33a). Other versions of the Bible state that you should “Seek first the Kingdom of God”. Everything else is secondary. When God is at the forefront of your world, everything else will fall into place; “he [God] will give you everything you need…” (Matthew 6:33b).
As people remove God from the center of life, all kinds of problems erupt. Then, all kinds of basic human needs go unfulfilled. Sin always follows. Selfish thoughts creep in. Humanism takes hold. Life becomes tenuous. Satan’s temptations sound more believable. When society pushes God out of the center of life, all kinds of sufferings soon abound. Politicians become power-hungry. Priests and pastors set up little fiefdoms in their parishes. Schools become breeding grounds for immorality. Sinfulness becomes rampant. People become greedy, impatient, selfish, arrogant, and rude. The world becomes much more dangerous. Life becomes “dog-eat-dog”. Humans devolve into animals. War becomes the norm.
If anything ever takes the place of God at the center of your universe, look for bad times to follow. You may even think yourself religious or holy, but you are neither. True faith involves holding fast to God. For Christians, Jesus must be at the core of your everyday decisions, and the Holy Spirit needs to be your constant Advisor (see John 14:16!)
When push comes to shove, who or what is at the center of your universe? Is Jesus your Savior or just a religious figure? True faith means submitting yourself to God, obeying God’s way of life, and following where God leads. Does God come first or second or third in your decisions, actions, and worship?