All I Have Is Christ

Earlier today I saw the video linked below. I am not sure that I was wowed by the stuff I saw on the screen. I am not exactly what you would call artsy or knowledgeable about producing images. But what struck me was both the title of the video and the music. I live in a part of the world in which we often make much of things that really do not matter that much.

Let me give you an example. We make much of sports. Right now we are in the middle of the NHL playoffs. I grew up playing hockey and to a degree I miss not being able to still play it. We are also in the middle of the NBA playoffs. One of my sons really enjoys playing basketball. We are also in the middle of the NFL labor dispute. Those things are happening and many people invest considerable time, energy and money to watch, discuss and debate the various issues involved.

But I feel compelled to ask myself the question: Does that invest matter? In high school I was exposed to the game Trivial Pursuit. Sometimes, when it was played, I actually did okay. But what did that prove or suggest? Maybe only that I had invested my life in stuff that was trivial, stuff that has limited value. The video challenged me to think about verses like Colossians 3:1-4 that reminds me that my life is hidden with Christ in God. The glory of my life is not tied to who wins a championship this spring or whether or not we have NFL games to distracts us in the fall. The glory of my life is tied to Christ and His being revealed.

The video also took me to 2 Corinthians 5:15. This verse grabs me and I pray re-orients me to the ultimate reality. The Lord Jesus died for me. Paul suggests that Jesus did that so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. My life is not really about me. It is about the Lord Jesus and His death and resurrection. The truth of that is rocking me this morning. I should approach my marriage differently because of Jesus. Marriage is not about my wife making me happy. Marriage is about me living out Christ's life so that my wife is reconciled to God and is being transformed into the likeness of Christ. The same can be said of being a parent, a worker, a neighbor.

It is really easy to make life about all kinds of stuff. That is wrong and dangerous. Colossians 1:16 and Romans 11:36 both affirm that the Lord Jesus is the point of life. That means if you and I want to truly live, we need to know that all we have is Christ. The other stuff can be enjoyed, but they are not the source nor the point of life. Thanks for reading. Please watch the video and follow Christ above everything. He is all I have.

All I Have is Christ