Christ Above All

            Reread the title of this month’s article and form it into a question. Does it read, “Do I put Christ above all?” Do we live the Michael W. Smith song “Above All” or do we place Christ second, or third. Do we place Him in our life at all?

            I hear too many Christians today proclaiming what is important or first in their life. Many times it is the expression, “My Kids come first, or my family comes first”. I’ve been astonished to hear their job, mortgage or their security comes first. That is not biblical, nor can God bless that order. Christ makes it clear the order is to “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul and mind” and then “Love your neighbor as yourself”. (Matt. 22:36-40). Think about where are you in this order?

            There is a website that many Christians and non-Christians have made a video on that proclaim themselves second. It is iamsecond.com. Although I applaud the intent of those videos as good, I also caution Christians that intent does not trump biblical doctrine. The correct order would make the individual third in the scheme of things. I AM THIRD should be in every Christian’s mind.

            Here is the correct order for our lives, 1) God, 2) others (family, friends, neighbors, strangers), 3) you. Kind of puts one low on the totem pole doesn’t it.

            See, Christ didn’t put Himself first when he suffered horrible beatings for us. He didn’t put Himself first when they pounded nails into his hands. He put God first by obeying the Father’s will, that He (Christ) should become THE sacrifice for our sins. Then He put us second, because he was doing it for our salvation, to save us from the judgment of eternal damnation. That makes Him (at that moment in time) third in the order. He gave His life for us, by obeying God’s will. Reading it like that, it is still 3, 2, 1.

            If Christ now resides in us by the Person of the Holy Spirit, then we must, to be obedient, place Christ (God made flesh) first. The scriptures reveal Christ as the second person of the Trinity, one God in three persons. The scriptures also reveal all power in heaven and earth has been given to Him by the Father, and He now holds the keys to heaven and hell.

            Christ must be the center and head of our devotion. Anything else is idolatry. If you put Christ first in your life, then all else will fall into place. I have found myself free from doubt, and easier to make decisions when I keep the order correct. Decisions concerning family, jobs, finances and leisure time come easier when it is Christ centered.

            How could you ever go wrong with the One who loved you so much that he gave His only Son (John 3:16) leading your life. Even if it comes to the ultimate human sacrifice, giving one’s life for another’s, God has a great reward for you in heaven.

            How about trying to be third for once, I think you’ll see a difference in your life and your family’s life. Christ deserves the first and the best!