A great article by John Mullen that will challenge and encourage you.

SELF FOCUS ………….to ………….Christ Focus

greed, gratitude, wholeness, generosity

pride, humility, integrity, courage

foolishness, faithfulness, perseverance,wisdom

“Christ-focused” is a way of thinking. It evolves into a way of living. Our thinking and behavior influence our attitudes and perspective. These become our unconscious reality, and make the difference between living in hell-on-earth or heaven-on-earth.

As a church family, our transformation from “self-focus” to “Christ-focus” will begin with our confession of greed and our commitment to gratefulness. We are exhorted over and over in the Bible to “give thanks.” Healing leads to wholeness and the Lord promises that he will fill our hearts and minds with peace as we give thanks (Phil. 4:6-7). Wholeness can be demonstrated by giving more than you are taking. It is the fruit of gratitude and it produces generosity. God loves a joyful giver because God is a joyful giver. Trials and adversity are considered “joy” (James 1:2) because when we suffer and do without we appreciate “normal everyday” things (appreciation is a form of gratitude). It changes our perspective, and a proper perspective is the key to joy. You cannot change your circumstances but you can change your perspective.

Our transformation will also begin with our confession of pride. God resists the proud and often we find ourselves working against God because of our attitude. If we want to be a community of GRACE we need to take on the form of a servant and be humble. I believe humility leads to integrity and eventually courage. Jesus is our model. As a young man he had many reasons to be proud. His humility separated Him from the leaders of His day who lacked integrity. It was His understanding of who he was (integrity) that gave Him the strength to be courageous. It is the courageous who change the world for Christ (Acts 4:31).

Finally, the gospel is foolishness to the world but not to those who are “being saved.” From an eternal perspective, living for earthly riches, pleasures and power are foolishness. Becoming Christ-centered means moving away from foolish passions and pursuits and moving toward being faithful with little things. If we are faithful with the small things, we will have learned to persevere. It is those who become persevering people who can walk in wisdom (James 1:3-6). Intellect is an accumulation of knowledge. Wisdom is an accumulation of experience. Biblical wisdom is a gift from God and comes from a preserving life of honoring God through good and bad.

When we find ourselves walking generously, courageously and wisely, our behavior will have matured to be “like-Christ.” Similarly, our attitudes and perspective will be reshaped as we move away from “me” focus to “Him” focus.

Blessings.
John