When Jesus Holds The Center
In Jesus the true Center, life holds together in love
Devotional Credit: In Christ, E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Paul tells us that in Him all things hold together. E. Stanley Jones lingers on this truth and shows us how life coheres when Jesus is the center. Outside of Him, things pull apart. In Him, love binds everything in harmony.
Jones is wonderfully practical. He points to the everyday places where we either gather around Jesus or scatter around lesser labels. When the Spirit of Jesus is welcomed, conversations mend and community heals. When we rally around anything smaller, tensions rise and people drift.
This is not about gritting our teeth. It is about belonging. In union with Jesus we discover a steady peace that gathers our thoughts, our relationships, and our decisions. What was chaotic begins to line up under His loving rule. Love is not a thin glaze. Love is the strong bond of the new creation that keeps us from flying apart.
Thank you, Dr. Jones, for pointing us to the Center again. I do not need to manage outcomes to stay whole. I only need to remain in Jesus with His people and let His Spirit do the holding. In Him, life makes sense, and in Him, we are kept.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have placed you in My Son, and in Him all things hold together. He is before all things. By Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. I sustain all things by the word of My power. I have blessed you in the Beloved with every spiritual blessing. I have sealed you with Me as the guarantee of your inheritance.
You are members of one body. I knit you together in love. I call you to maintain the unity that I have given, one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. I cause the whole body to grow as each part works properly in love. Let the peace of the Messiah rule in your heart, to which you were called in one body, and give thanks.
Set your mind on things above where He is. Let the word of the Messiah dwell in you richly. Put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and forgive as God in Christ forgave you. Above all, put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Abide in My Son. Apart from Him you can do nothing. In Him you bear fruit that remains.
You will hear voices that scatter. Do not be drawn by them. Stand in My armor. Pray at all times in the Spirit. Encourage one another. Build one another up. Present your whole self to Me as alive from the dead, and I will work in you to will and to do for My good pleasure. I am faithful. I will complete what I began in you, and I will keep you in perfect peace as your mind stays on Me.
Real-Life Analogy
Think about a refrigerator magnet on a busy family calendar. Pages want to curl and slide. Appointments tug in different directions. One strong magnet set at the center holds the paper in place and keeps the whole month from slipping to the floor. The paper does not hold itself. The magnet does the work.
Life with Jesus is like that. He is the living Center who keeps the loose pages of the day from sliding away. When a hard conversation or a crowded schedule starts to pull your heart in pieces, you might whisper, Lord, I entrust this moment to You. Draw my thoughts and words under Your peace. Then step forward and let the Holy Spirit steady your tone, gather your priorities, and keep you gentle and clear while you move through the tasks and the talk.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that in Jesus all things hold together. You have placed me in Your Son. You have poured out Your Spirit within me. I already possess every spiritual blessing in Christ. Today I affirm the peace of Jesus ruling in my heart. I affirm the love of God binding my relationships. I affirm the word of the Messiah dwelling richly in me.
I gladly wear the compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience You have provided. I forgive as I have been forgiven. I remain available for the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. I rejoice that Your power upholds all things and that my life coheres in Your Son. In the name of Jesus I give thanks. Amen.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Genesis 1:1-3; Psalm 29:4; Isaiah 26:3; John 1:1-3; John 13:34-35; John 14:27; John 15:1-8; John 17:20-23; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 5:5; Romans 8:1-11; Romans 12:1-2; Romans 12:4-21; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 1:3-14; Ephesians 2:4-10; Ephesians 2:13-22; Ephesians 3:14-21; Ephesians 4:1-6; Ephesians 4:11-16; Ephesians 6:10-18; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:15-20; Colossians 2:9-10; Colossians 3:1-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Peter 4:8-10; Jude 24-25