What does it mean to be God-centered?
Being God-centered means making God the central focus of one’s life. It means orienting one’s thoughts, desires, actions, relationships, work, time, resources, goals, and identity around God. The opposite would be being self-centered or world-centered, where oneself or the things of this world become the overriding concern.
At its core, being God-centered flows out of loving God with all of one’s heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). This type of all-consuming love and passion for God leads to a life that revolves around knowing, worshipping, obeying and glorifying Him.
The Bible describes several aspects involved in having a God-centered life:
Submitting to God’s Lordship
To be God-centered means recognizing God’s complete authority and lordship over every sphere of life. Jesus emphasized that the first and greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). Part of what this entails is acknowledging that God rightfully deserves first place in our lives.
As our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer, God has full rights over us. We belong completely to Him. A God-centered life submits fully to God’s sovereignty, Lordship and ownership. It seeks to align every aspect of life under His wise and good leadership, rather than pursuing self-rule or autonomy from God.
The book of Daniel provides an illustration of maintaining a God-centered perspective even while serving in a pagan culture. Daniel “resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank” (Daniel 1:8). Though a captive in Babylon, Daniel’s commitment to obey God took priority over the earthly powers ruling over him.
Likewise, a God-centered life today submits even the most mundane daily decisions to the Lord’s direction and will.
Desiring God’s Glory as the Highest Priority
At the heart of being God-centered is the passion that God’s glory and name be honored and proclaimed throughout the earth. This was Jesus’ deepest desire and mission, as He lived “to glorify God and extend His kingdom” (John 17:1-5; Luke 19:10).
The writings of the apostles also point to the preeminence of God’s glory. Paul urges believers to “do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Peter exhorts Christians to “declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
A God-centered life aligns with these Kingdom purposes. It cares most deeply about God’s renown rather than personal comfort, success or fame. It longs to see the name of Jesus exalted in every sphere of society. It serves others with the mindset of being an ambassador who represents the King and stewards the honor of His name.
Pursuing Intimacy with God
At the core of a God-centered life is the cultivation of intimacy with God. Jesus described this intimate fellowship between Himself and His Father: “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:10). This mutual abiding in a close relationship was the foundation for all that Jesus did.
Likewise, God’s desire for His children is that we would “abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4). Both the Old and New Testaments paint a picture of walking in step-by-step fellowship with God, conversing with Him constantly through prayer and listening to His voice through Scripture.
A God-centered life cultivates this depth of relationship, recognizing that God is both transcendent in His perfect holiness yet also intimately personal in allowing us to know Him. It values time alone with God as the non-negotiable priority over busyness and activity. It sees prayer, worship and Bible study not as religious duties but as lifelines for experiencing deeper connection with the Lover of our souls.
Living for God’s Kingdom Priorities
Jesus instructed His followers to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). To be God-centered is to align one’s priorities with God’s eternal Kingdom and purposes.
This reorients every decision around the question – How does this action serve God’s Kingdom? A God-centered perspective cares more about seeing lost people find salvation, broken people find healing, victims find justice, and God’s creation cared for, than simply pursuing selfish ambitions.
The early disciples modeled these Kingdom priorities after being filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Scripture records how they prayerfully gave attention to ministry priorities like teaching God’s Word, caring for widows, and administering community funds (Acts 2:42; 6:1-4).
Likewise, a God-centered life today invests time, resources and energy into furthering the work of God’s Kingdom. Rather than living for comfort or personal gain, it finds purpose and meaning in partnering with God’s redemptive work in the world.
Dependence on God’s Strength
At the core of a God-centered life is the posture of humility and dependence on God’s power and grace to accomplish anything of value. Jesus emphasized this truth: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). He modeled utter reliance on the Father’s enabling to fulfill His earthly mission.
Paul also learned to embrace this paradigm after encountering the resurrected Christ, writing about the “thorn in my flesh” that kept him dependent on God’s strength working through his weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:7–10). His ministry was marked by prayerful trust in the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to preach the Gospel in the face of opposition and persecution (Acts 13:2-3; 14:3).
Likewise, a God-centered life humbly acknowledges inability and insufficiency apart from God’s strength and sustaining grace. Rather than self-reliance, it embraces the posture modeled by David: “I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD” (Psalm 71:16). By prayerfully relying on the Spirit’s power, God-centered living bears Kingdom fruit that brings glory to Him.
Acting as a Faithful Steward
A God-centered worldview recognizes that all of life and everything we possess ultimately belong to God. We are managers and caretakers of the time, resources, relationships and opportunities God grants, not owners. Jesus reminds believers that God entrusts true riches to those who prove faithful with worldly wealth (Luke 16:11).
This mindset of stewardship ultimately seeks God’s approval over possessions, position or power. It invests generously into Kingdom purposes rather than hoarding or wasting resources on selfish indulgence. It offers back to God the highest caliber of work and honorable use of time as an act of worship. A God-centered life stewards everything entrusted by God with excellence and eternal perspective.
Displaying Christlike Character
The ultimate outcome of a God-centered life is being conformed to the image of Jesus. As Paul wrote: “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Gazing on Christ’s glory in Scripture leads to reflecting His character in our deeds.
This Christlike transformation includes growing in virtues like grace, humility, integrity, purity, patience, kindness and compassion. It means modeling Jesus’ example of serving others sacrificially. God being at the center involves surrendering more of our character and practices to the refining and renovating work of the Holy Spirit.
A God-centered life recognizes Christ’s lordship over every dimension of identity and conduct. It cooperates with God’s work of sanctification to reshape thoughts, words, attitudes and actions into greater alignment with who Jesus is.
Living for God’s Approval Rather than Man’s Praise
At its root, a God-centered life cares most about hearing Jesus’ words “Well done my good and faithful servant” rather than pursuing worldly approval or reputation. It agrees with James that “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). Its deepest longing is to hear on the final day, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom” (Matthew 25:34).
This means a willingness to obey Christ even when it costs social acceptance or popularity. Jesus promised persecution for following Him, because the world system opposes God’s standards (John 15:18-21). But He assured believers of reward in heaven for those mistreated on His account (Matthew 5:11-12).
Paul’s ministry demonstrated the choice to please God over seeking man’s praise. Though shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned and despised, he could boldly declare: “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). A God-centered life uses Paul’s mindset as a compass – aspiring always to be faithful to God regardless of opposition or hardship.
Fixing the Eyes on Eternal Perspective
Crucial to a God-centered life is orienting priorities around eternal rewards rather than temporary, earthly pursuits. As Paul wrote, “We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
This eternal perspective humbly stores up treasures in heaven rather than chasing after wealth, acclaim or comfort in the present (Matthew 6:19-21). It values investments that last forever – like people coming to Christ – rather than what fades in this lifetime.
With an eternal outlook, a God-centered life perseveres through present trials because it anticipates the coming “weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Keeping the end in mind helps fuel endurance and sacrifices as good stewards of the time lent to us.
Center of Identity and Purpose
Ultimately, a God-centered life finds its very identity, value and purpose rooted in relationship with God. Everything flows out of belonging completely to Him as His beloved child. Understanding this identity in Christ is crucial, as all other aspects of God-centered living radiate from it.
The apostle Paul described this redefined identity that comes from being united with Christ and placed into God’s family: “You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).
From this secure identity, believers gain worth, adoption as God’s children, purpose and access to spiritual blessings that transcend any earthly privilege (Ephesians 1:3-6). A God-centered life grasps this new self-concept centered in God’s grace.
Modeling God’s Heart for All People
Central to a God-centered life is caring about what God cares about. And Scripture reveals God’s passion for seeing people from every nation find salvation through faith in Christ. As John 3:16 expresses, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.”
In the Old Testament, God promised Abraham that through him “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:13). Jesus echoed this global perspective by telling His followers they would be His witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). He had compassion on crowds because they were “like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34).
The early church embraced this mandate to carry the Gospel across barriers and borders. The book of Revelation portrays believers from every tribe and language worshiping around God’s throne (Revelation 7:9).
Being God-centered involves aligning with this same heart – loving the lost, reaching the forgotten, embracing diversity, caring for the marginalized. It recognizes that part of glorifying God is reflecting His compassion for the spiritually hungry and broken worldwide.
Growing in Obedience to God’s Commands
An essential aspect of God-centered living is increased obedience to God’s moral directives found in Scripture. Jesus taught that expressing real love for Him means obeying His commands (John 14:15).
Submitting every area of life to the lordship of Christ will include allowing the Bible, through the Spirit’s work, to confront sins that need repenting. It means pursuing holiness and purity of thought and action. It involves examining motives and attitudes that might be self-focused rather than God-honoring.
This obedience is not burdensome but actually leads to freedom, promised Jesus: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). It produces the peace and joy of walking in step with the Shepherd, crucifying fleshly desires to follow Him.
The God-centered life thus continually asks the question: How can I bring this part of my life into greater alignment with God’s standards and will? It celebrates obedient steps of faith while honest about shortcomings needing God’s grace.
In summary, a God-centered life places Him on the throne at the center. It orbits around loving, glorifying, knowing, depending on and obeying God. It finds purpose, identity, and eternal hope in relationship with Him. The call to be God-centered is not meant to crush but to liberate us into the life of joyful surrender for which we were created. By His grace and strength, choosing each day to set our minds and hearts on Christ above all else is the key to that abundant life.