LIVING AS EASTER PEOPLE -- INTEGRITY

John 10:1-10

Acts 2:42-47

In the opening scenes of the movie, “Rise of the Guardians,” Jack Frost is brought into being. But there is a problem. Jack has no sense of purpose, no idea of what his reason for being is and he's not real. He knows what others say he is – a trouble maker, irresponsible, always messing up. Try as he might, he just can't figure out how to become real.

In some ways, we're like Jack. At times, we struggle to keep it real, that is being true to who we are. There are a lot of voices telling us who we are or what we should be – friends, family, the workplace, the classroom, the media, our culture and even ourselves. It doesn't help that we play many roles as spouse, parent, child, student, worker and friend, to mention a few. All those voices, and they all want a piece of us. If we try to follow them all, we end up fragmented and may even lose our sense of purpose.

In the movie, Santa Claus asks Jack, “Who are you, Jack Frost? What is your center?” To help Jack understand what he means, he shows Frost a set of Russian nesting dolls. Each doll represents an aspect of Claus – stern, jolly, mysterious, caring and fearless. At the center of it all, is wonder. Wonder is what he brings to the world, and it influences all the other aspects of his life.

As Christians, our center is Jesus Christ. It is what we bring to the world and live into every aspect of our lives. With Christ at the center of our lives, his voice cuts through the clamor and confusion of the other voices that try to lay claim to our lives. His teachings and Spirit guide us and form us in his image. 

Wherever we are, the workplace or the grocery store, at home or in church, Jesus influences our actions and our relationships.  He brings wholeness and integrity to our lives, empowering us to be the people God has created us to be no matter where we are and who we're with.

Living with integrity begins with making following Christ the greatest desire of our hearts.  It's living our faith 24/7.

As we read in Acts 2:42-47, the people of the early church devoted themselves to it. They gathered in small groups to learn from the apostles and grow their faith. They spent time with God daily, and they shared of themselves with others. It kept the voice of Christ strong in their hearts, and as they went out into the world, into the workplace and into their homes, they took Jesus with them, and that's what attracted more and more people to the faith.

Today our challenge as Christians living in a culture addicted to busyness is to stop and reconnect with our center, with Christ. With so many choices, so many things competing for our attention, it requires us to question our priorities and make decisions that will have an eternal impact on our lives as well as bringing joy and purpose to us now.

Living in a world filled with contradicting voices that pull us in different directions, the question to ask is, “What would Jesus have me do?” and then listen for and follow the voice of Christ. Of all the voices we hear, it is the one that leads us to truth and integrity in everything we do.

Jesus is our center. His voice brings clarity to a confusing world, wholeness to fragmented lives and a sense of purpose and a reason for being.

Our relationship with God through Christ is all we have, all that we are and all that we will ever be.