holding me together

Last night I stayed up watching the news. I was discouraged to see so much happening on the world stage in terms of hatred for the United States. From the oil rich Presidents of Venezuala and Iran to nuclear bomb ambitious Al Queda--all desire to see our country financially unravel or utterly destroyed.

The other day I spoke with someone who is facing financial collapse. As we spoke, I could tell that he was trying to keep it together. Much of the solution for him is out of his control. I visited a man and his wife in the hospital two days ago. He was about to go into emergency surgery to remove his kidney because of a large tumor that had grown on it. Today they are waiting for more news from the doctor. A man told me Sunday that his wife left him after many years of marriage and now he is facing the prospect of life alone.

There is so much instability in today’s world. Everywhere we look we see people and things coming apart. People are living under tremendous pressure. Keeping it together is difficult when your world is falling apart.

It was not long ago that I felt like things were coming apart myself. I am encouraged to know that it is not my job to hold my world together. Colossians 1:17 reminds us that “all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Getting centered means trusting that Jesus can hold me together in a world where so many things can quickly disintegrate. It means reaching out in love to others and providing emotional strength in the midst of suffering. It means putting my ultimate hope in the joys of heaven where there will be no more crying, tears or pain. It means consistently thanking God for all of the things that He does give so generously.

Getting centered does not mean that things are not going wrong or even that I ignore the chaos around me. It means that I place my focus on Jesus and depend on Him to hold me together in the midst of it all. It is believing that he can cause all things to somehow work together for my good. That is what getting centered means to me. It is Jesus-the Center of everything.

Chris