Healthy Heart Checkഉദാഹരണം

Have you ever found yourself walking with Christ for years, even decades, only to suddenly realize He's no longer at the center of your life? This discovery isn't meant to condemn us but to awaken us to a fundamental truth: God's design has always placed Himself at the center.

From the very beginning, God established this pattern of centrality. In Genesis 2:9, it says, "And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." The word "midst" here means center—God intentionally positioned the tree of life in the center of the garden as a reminder of His presence and the life that comes through Him.

This positioning wasn't arbitrary. It established a spiritual principle that would repeat throughout Scripture: what we place at the center determines everything else. Adam and Eve had a choice—focus on the tree of life at the center or be drawn to the forbidden tree also present in the garden. Their eventual choice to disobey reminds us that keeping God at the center requires intentional decision-making in an environment filled with alternatives.

As the biblical narrative progresses, we see this pattern of centrality continues with the Israelites in the wilderness. In Numbers 2:17, it says, "And the tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps; as they camp, so they shall move out, everyone in his place, by their standards." God instructed the tribes to position themselves in specific locations—north, south, east, and west—with the tabernacle always at the center.

The tabernacle itself served as a miniature representation of Eden's perfection. After humanity's fall, God no longer dwelled with people in a garden setting, but He provided this sacred space where His presence could remain "in the midst" of His people. For the Israelites to move forward in their journey, the tabernacle—God's presence—had to be properly positioned in the center.

This pattern reaches its culmination at Calvary. In Mark 15:27-28 it says, "With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'" Even in His moment of greatest sacrifice, Jesus occupied the center position between two thieves.

This positioning wasn't coincidental. It allowed one of the thieves to experience a complete transformation—from condemnation to paradise—simply because he was positioned near Christ at the center. This reveals another powerful truth: when Christ is properly placed at the center, those around Him experience His transforming presence.

Pause and Ponder: In what areas of your life might Jesus have been shifted from the center position? How might restoring Him to the center transform those situations?