Page 20 - Principles for Discipling Others-Student textbook

there in the center of our lives and do that! He can…and will. We just need to be always following Him…
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me.” (Mt. 16:24)

But the young Christian needs to be taught the need for Christ to sit in the center
of his/her life. Christ taught this in Matthew chapter six about the danger of trying
to serve two masters. He summed it up with Mt. 6:33 “But seek ye first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto
you.” Seeking Christ’s leadership (centrality) is much like driving a car. People are
used to “driving their own car” before they receive Christ. After receiving Christ
we need to move ourselves over into the “shotgun” seat, surrender our will to
His, and say, “Lord, you drive my car! You tell me what to do and say…you direct
my feet,” etc.

Sadly, soon after Christ comes into a new Christian’s life, His position at the center of a new Christian’s
life is gradually (or quickly) replaced by the new Christian, “the spiritual babe in Christ’s own self-will.”
Typically, babies everywhere tend to cry, whine, throw tantrums, pout, and become angry whenever
they don’t find their every need met whenever they feel that it is needed and/or desired. Unfortunately,
this is often the case with new Christians who have not learned to keep Christ central in their lives (as a
Hub.)

We have been so used to running our own life and making our own decisions for so long that even as a
new Christian we tend to want to continue directing our own lives--- not seeking nor attempting to seek
the Lord’s guidance in our actions or in what we are planning to do. When we so push Christ off the
throne of our life (the Center) we should not be surprised when we go back to making poor choices. “So
I gave them up unto their own heart’s lust: and they walked in their own counsels.” (Ps. 81:12)

Not surprisingly, the younger a child is when he receives Christ into his life, the easier it may be to allow
Christ to lead him in the “way he should go.” This is because he/she has been used to following the
guidance given to him by his parents and Christ’s direction can become a natural follow-up to the
parental guidance that he has been receiving. The older a person is when he/she receives Christ the
more difficult it is to yield the “throne room” of one’s heart to the Savior, who is always ready and able
to “lead us into the paths of righteousness.” Psalm 23.

Christ-likeness

It is interesting to note that Christ at the beginning of His ministry was led of the Spirit
to go into the wilderness where he faced three temptations from Satan. All three
temptations were designed to cause Christ to do something that would be “self-
centered” as opposed to being “God-centered.” In every case Christ acted from a God-
centered position….giving to us, His disciples, an example so that we might do the
same…“As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in Him.” (Col. 2:6). And
“He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked. (I Jn. 2:6)
Keeping Christ in the center of one’s life leads to Christ-likeness. But how to do this?

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