Devotionals by Dr. M. Craig Barnes
He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. --
Life is filled with demands. You1ve got so many wonderful dreams for what you would like to do, but so many commitments to what you have to do. And they are both important to you. You're committed to your work, your loved ones, church, getting exercise, and several volunteer projects. But when it comes to finding time for all this, not to mention the dreams that you keep tucked in your heart, well, you've got a math problem. Some days it feels like you1re just barely able to keep life taped together.
When you call Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, you are not saying that you have found a way "to get your act together." You1re saying that you are placing all the demanding, disconnected parts of life into his hands. As the Apostle Paul claims, only in him do all things hold together. But that happens only when we place him "before all things." In other words, Jesus has to be the Savior over all life. He is your only hope for integration, and thus integrity.
So rather than knocking yourself out trying to make life tidy and consistent, just keep bringing the conflicting pieces of life to the Savior. Life isn't a goal to be achieved; it is a mysterious grace to be received from the one who is not done creating you. You're not called to be that creator. You're called to glorify God, and to knock yourself out enjoying a life that is too deliciously mysterious to fully understand.
-- Craig Barnes