BUILT DIFFERENT WEEK 1: LOCKED IN
In the movie “For Love of the Game,” the main character is a baseball pitcher named Billy Chapel who is coming to the end of his career and has a decision to make as to whether to retire or not. He is pitching in the last game of the season, and during the game we are shown something that he did every time he pitched. Just as he is about to begin, he says to himself, “clear the mechanism.” At that point, everything else around him—the crowd noise, other players, the heckling, everything—fades away and he is singularly focused on the task of pitching. It is just him and his catcher. As the movie goes on, we see him begin to get tired, and ultimately he is injured on a play. As the pain and fatigue set in, his ability to “clear the mechanism” becomes increasingly difficult. Suddenly all the things he was able to close off around him come bombarding back in, making it hard for him to singularly focus on pitching.
Life can be like that. We are cruising along through life, we feel like we have it all together, and then suddenly what was easily pushed aside (or was not a big deal) becomes a major distraction or problem that we can’t seem to get around or past. Life can become scattered, chaotic, and a bit overwhelming, and we need a timeout to basically, “clear the mechanism” or re-center our life, mind, and spirit. This can only begin by understanding and accepting what (or better yet, who) should be at the center of our lives. It doesn’t begin with more or increased spiritual habits; it starts with getting and understanding a bigger vision of Jesus.
Jesus is supreme, and he holds everything together. Even when we feel like life is out of control or we can’t seem to focus, Jesus is still holding you and your situation. Colossians 1:15-20 gives us a glimpse of his supremacy, how he was involved in creation, and how he holds our future despite everything around us.
But this re-centering doesn’t happen by accident. We must be intentional. We must set aside time throughout the year to make sure we are coming back to the centrality of Jesus and what he did for each of us on the cross. Everything we have—our present and our future hope—is dependent on the person of Jesus.
So where is your life most scattered right now? What has become central to your life? If it isn’t Jesus, what do you need to do to return to that center? And will you take the necessary steps to remove the distractions and re-center your life on the only one who can keep us there?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Where is your life most scattered right now? What has become the functional center of your life? What are some of the things that can pull us away from having our life centered on Jesus?
Read Colossians 1:15-23. This passage talks about the supremacy of Jesus. Define the word supremacy, and discuss how Jesus’ supremacy should affect our relationship with him.
How can this passage help keep us centered on Jesus?
What spiritual disciplines can help us keep our life centered on Jesus? How do they do that?
What are some practical steps you can take right now to re-center your life on Jesus or to keep it centered on him?