If Jesus is Lord....

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
~Colossians 2:6-7~

Recently our Minister to Youth and Children was preaching on the book of Colossians. He was reminding us of the cultural pressures the new believers at Colossae would have been facing. He made what was a seemingly obvious observation, but one that has hung with me for the weeks since:

"If Jesus is Lord, Caesar is not."

By declaring that Jesus is Lord, the new believers were emphatically declaring their allegiance. And that allegiance was dangerous.

Those words continue to resound in my ears, "If Jesus is Lord, ______ is not." What fills in the blank in my life. What things do I need to be reminded are not Lord in my life?

If Jesus is Lord, blogging is not. Although a casual observer might not be too sure. The balance of time between reading my Bible/praying/spending time with Jesus and reading blogs/commenting on blogs/writing my blog is actually, often, way out of balance. I am working on keeping the ratio more acceptable. The funny thing is, when I prioritise time with God, I find I have more to say for my blog and it takes less time to say it. Imagine that!

If Jesus is Lord, homeschooling is not. Yes, educating my children is important and I believe that it is something that God has called us to do. But it is not more important than my spiritual wellbeing. And my childre will learn nothing of the love of God if all they see in me is hypocrisy. Again, getting the priority right is allowing school to become less of a struggle.

If Jesus is Lord, German and the girls are not. This one is often where the rubber meets the road. They are important. They are gifts from God. But they cannot and will not save me from my mess. Only Jesus can rescue me. I am amazed and grateful that he gives me these relationships to bring joy into my life, but I cannot depend upon relationships to make me feel good about myself.

I am grateful for the reminder that the declaration of "Jesus is Lord" is more than a glib statement that is made and then forgotten. It is a declaration of allegience. The choices I make and the priorities I set will demonstrate if that allegience is lip-service or heart-felt. I'm praying that I am found faithful to the declaration.