I heard a story of an airline pilot whose goal was to become the best pilot in the business. He framed everything in his life around that industry. When his friends were talking about Paris, he would interject about the time he flew there. When the topic was food, he would talk about the improving quality of airline food. No matter the subject, he would find a way to relate it to flying.
His worldview allowed him to see everything in the context of what he held most dear. This reframing of every situation and conversation holds a great lesson for living the Christian life. If we were all as dedicated to our faith as that pilot was to his passion, our love for Christ would grow exponentially. No one would ever question the purpose of our lives.
We shouldn’t have to think of ways to inject Christ into a conversation. If we orient our lives around Him, talking about Jesus becomes the most natural thing in the world. When Christ is our focus, we see Him everywhere. Reframing our lives to always focus on Jesus enables us to be in His will without even thinking about it. The apostle Paul understood this when he explained it is in Christ that we live, move, and exist (Acts 17:28). When we let the Holy Spirit flow through our thoughts, words, and actions, we will be living in harmony with our Creator.
Reframing our lives means we seek God first. I think it also means we seek him second and third. I’m talking about being completely consumed by Christ. Isn’t that the commitment we made when we came to Him? When we accept Jesus as Lord, it means we die to ourselves (Galatians 2:19-20; Ephesians 4:17-20). We put away everything we used to desire. For some, that will be too much to ask. If it is, know you are trading momentary pleasures for an eternity in Hell. That’s not a trade I’m willing to make.
Your habits determine who you will become. You can’t do the things you’ve always done and expect to grow in Christ. You probably can’t even do the things you’ve always done and remain in Christ (1 John 2:15; 1 John 2:19). The good news is you won’t want to do the old things. Sin loses its appeal once you come to Jesus (Romans 6:1-11). If you are serious about God, you want to do nothing but please Hm.
Reframing your life means adopting a new worldview. Every place you go is an opportunity to make an impact for Jesus. Every person you meet is of infinite value, someone created in the image of Christ. Learn to see every day as God does. Who can you encourage today? Who can you tell about the amazing gift of salvation through Jesus? What can you do to further the mission of Christ? Begin reframing your thoughts, words, and actions to be all about Jesus. We only get one life on earth to serve Christ and to make an impact for Him. Let’s not waste a minute.