Only Jesus: Parents + Kids | Colossians 3:17, 20-21
What would your life look like if Jesus were at the center of it? The center of your marriage, your family, and your work life. Did you see the Solar Eclipse on Monday? On Monday, the entire country was obsessed with the total eclipse. It had been since 2021 since that last one on our planet and since 2017 since we’ve experienced it in North America. For those wondering, the next one is in August 2045 and Florida is in the “cone” of the total eclipse. Economists estimate the those areas that were in the “cone” this year had the economic impact of $6-8 billion dollars! The event last just a few minutes, but people were in awe of it. I watched a few network newscasters talk about the significance of the sun and why people were obsessed with it. One anchor said, “It just shows us how small we are compared to how big the universe is. It makes you believe that there is something or someone bigger out there, doesn’t it.” The other anchor said, “Yes, it does. Yes it does.” I totally agree. The heavens declare the glory of God and did you know who created it? Jesus. Jesus created the sun which is at the center of our universe and every planet orbits around it every year. Just as the planet revolve around the sun, God created us to revolved around the true SON, Jesus Christ. What we need is what the famous Bonnie Tyler said is a “total eclipse of the heart.” She wrote, “Once upon a time, I was falling in love, but now I’m only falling apart. There’s nothing I can do, a total eclipse of the heart.” We need a bigger vision of Jesus in our lives.
In everything, word or deed, do all in the name of Jesus. Paul is writing from prison instructing us to make Jesus the center of everything in our lives. Because Jesus is first, and went first, He must be first in everything in our lives. In light of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for us, this is how we are to live our lives. Paul gets practical talking how Christ being at the center of our lives impacts every interaction in every fundamental relationship in our lives: married, parenting and work life. Everywhere there are instructions for husbands and wives there are instructions for parents and children. Why? Because what your kids needs more than anything are two parents who are walking with Jesus and walking together. More than we want our kids to be educated, talented or athletic, we want to be living in a Christ-centered, secure, loving home. What would your family look like if Jesus were at the center of it? Christ-centered homes are healthy, loving, secure places where children follow appropriately, and parents lead responsibly as they cling to the grace of God.