Is Jesus Christ Truly the Center of Your Life?

A crown of thorns in the background with the words of Romans 8:5 in the foreground.

Lots of people have invited Jesus into their lives. Fewer have actually handed Him the keys.

Is Christ the center of your life? Most Christians would answer this question without hesitation. “Of course Jesus is the center of my life.” They’d probably back that up with all the things: we attend church, we pray, we read our Bibles, and we identify ourselves as followers of Christ. Those are all wonderful things, and they should definitely be part of a healthy Christian life. But we live in a society where plenty of people know how to fit into Christian culture without ever making Jesus the center of their lives. Believing Jesus exists and allowing Him to rule every area of our lives are not always the same thing. We’re called to go beyond just believing in Christ. We have to truly live under His Lordship. So the question isn’t whether Jesus has a place in our lives. The question is whether He has first place.

What Does It Mean to Put Jesus at the Center?

Jesus never intended to become just one important part of an already crowded life. He isn’t Someone we place alongside our careers, relationships, dreams, finances, and hobbies, hoping He’ll bless whatever we’ve already decided to pursue. He is the very foundation upon which everything else is built. When Jesus is truly at the center, every component of your life finds its proper place because every part is submitted to Him. He isn’t an addition to our lives—He is our life. Colossians 3:4 (NLT) tells us, “And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.”

What does that actually look like? It doesn’t mean we spend every waking moment inside a church building or reading the Bible. It means every decision is filtered through His truth before we act. Every relationship is surrendered to His care. Every ambition is measured against His Will instead of our own desires. Every area of our lives belongs to Him because we recognize that we belong to Him. As Paul wrote in Colossians 1:17-18 (NLT), “He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.”

In Matthew 6:33 (NLT), Jesus Himself also reminds us, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Notice the order that He’s giving us in this scripture. We seek Him first, not after everything else has been taken care of.

When Something Else Takes His Place

Most of us don’t wake up one morning and intentionally start putting other things ahead of Jesus Christ. It usually happens little by little. Careers begin to define us. Marriage becomes our greatest pursuit. Family demands our complete attention. Ministry can even become more important than the Savior we’re supposed to be serving. Money, comfort, success, personal dreams, fear, control, or even our own opinions can slowly move into the place that belongs to Christ alone. None of those things are sinful by themselves. In fact, many are gifts from God. But even God’s gifts become idols when they receive the affection, trust, dependence, or devotion that belongs only to Him.

Living with Jesus at the Center Every Day

When Jesus truly becomes the center, everything else begins to change. Our identity is no longer built on what we accomplish but on who we belong to. Marriage becomes an opportunity to reflect Christ instead of expecting another person to complete us. Parenting becomes stewardship instead of control. Work becomes worship. Money becomes a tool instead of a master. Forgiveness becomes possible because we’ve never forgotten how much we’ve been forgiven. Our purpose is no longer driven by personal ambition but by faithfulness to God’s calling. That doesn’t mean life suddenly becomes easier. Trials still come. Disappointments still hurt. But Christ becomes greater than the circumstances surrounding us. As our Lord and Savior said in John 15:5 (NLT), “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” The closer we remain to Him, the more every other area of life begins to reflect His character.

Keeping Jesus at the center isn’t something we decide once and never think about again. It’s a daily choice. Every morning we choose surrender over self-rule. We choose prayer instead of self-reliance. We choose His Word over our feelings. We choose repentance when we fail and dependence upon the Holy Spirit when we’re weak. Jesus made this clear when He said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23, NLT). Daily means today’s surrender doesn’t automatically carry over into tomorrow. Every new day presents another opportunity to place Jesus back where He belongs.

The beautiful news is that Jesus isn’t asking for perfection. He knows we’ll stumble, get distracted, and sometimes allow other things to compete for our hearts. What He desires is willing hearts that keep returning to Him. If you’ve realized that something else has become the center of your life, don’t allow shame to keep you there. Jesus hasn’t moved away from you. He’s lovingly inviting you back to Himself. So ask yourself honestly: If someone observed the way I live, the decisions I make, the things I pursue, and the priorities I keep, would they conclude that Jesus Christ truly is the center of my life? If the answer isn’t what you hoped, today is a wonderful day to surrender again and give Him what He has always deserved—first place. ■

| Tags: Christian Living, Christian men, hearing God's voice, Jesus Christ, Marriage Preparation in Christ, men's devotion, obedience, Spiritual Growth