Christian Outreach Centre Maryborough

Well, the longest night and shortest day of the year are behind us. July has begun and that means Spring is not too far away which, for me, makes the rest of winter bearable.
This also makes me think of what is in store for the remainder of the year.
I heard a quote at the COC Qld. State conference on Thursday that has got me thinking. "What you focus on, grows" That can be either negative or positive. It can be focused on ourselves or on others.
So many people today concentrate on themselves, and usually on the negative side of things. However, Jesus taught us that we need to ‘Deny ourselves - to take up our cross and follow Him’ and that’s not easy, but necessary if we want to become all that God expects us to be.
We need to look closely at what we really believe in. Is our Christian life all about us or is it about others?
If it is about others then all our gifts and talents that we have been given by God, is not for our benefit, not to make us feel good, but to benefit the lives of those around us and to help them grow.
Making others my focus makes me understand more and more what Jesus would have us do. It makes me realise that the rest of the year has to be a little different to the first part of the year if I want to see more change come into my life. And change will bring conflict! It will conflict with my own will, my emotions and my thinking [my mind]. I have to ask myself what I can do to help others fulfil their destiny and to help them become disciples/ followers rather than be just believers.
I could spend a lot of time ministering into the perceived needs of others by providing physiological needs [food, shelter etc.] or safety and security, or social needs which
we as a church endeavour to do with love, acceptance, value and a sense of belonging - and that’s good! But leadership helps others to find their God-given purpose in life and ways to fulfil that purpose.
So what is in store for the remainder of the year? Moving out of our deficiency needs, our victim mentality into growth, building lives, fulfilling purpose, building and equipping OTHERS in order that ‘the whole body of Christ might be built up until the time comes when, in the unity of common faith and common knowledge of the Son of God, we arrive at real maturity - that measure of development which is meant by "the fullness of Christ"’. [Eph 4:13 J.B.Phillips]
We focus on others
Ray and Marie

Thought for the week:

What you focus on, grows.