Oh Christ be magnified,
Let HIS praise arise, Christ be magnified in me….What do those words really mean…we sang them in worship this weekend and they caused me to stop and wonder if Christ really was being magnified IN me?!
Magnified – generally we use this term in science, for example, when we use a microscope to look closely at say a virus…it makes that virus appear bigger than what it really is….so we can see it’s delicate make up, each tiny bump and nuance. We can understand and KNOW it better because we can SEE it more clearly.
At this time of year, a lot of us decide to make a New Year’s resolution, we reflect on and maybe even think thoughts like; Why am I here? Can I make a difference? What did God design me for?
Humans innately wonder about their existence, significance and purpose. There are hundreds of books written about these topics; finding your personality type, leveraging your intellect, utilizing your skill set to better accomplish your goals, and so much more. BUT what if it was a lot simpler than all that. What if every single human being was created for ONE purpose and ONE goal and no matter our personality type, learning style or age and ability we ALL ultimately did this ONE thing!?! God designed each of us with a purpose in mind and finding that purpose and leaning into that goal should be our main focus. THAT purpose is ultimately WORSHIPPING God! Using our unique set of abilities and talents to MAGNIFY HIM…to create an environment where others wonder about your resilience, your joy, your attitude, your _____, and then YOU can SHARE the reason behind it, JESUS, with them! Thus, making JESUS BIG under the microscope of other people’s gaze and making yourself smaller. John 3:30 “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less”!!
I WANT TO DO THAT! I want to LIVE out God’s purpose for my life. I want to share HIS STORY with as many people as I can. I want HIM to be magnified in my life!
Our key verse this weekend in services was Romans 15:6 “Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is my prayer for ALIVE Church this year. I want to see all ages, all personality types, all learning styles, all men, women, teens, youth, kids, find Jesus; find their purpose and live ALL IN. I believe as a church family we can do this by joining together, not pointing out each other’s differences, but seeing those differences and celebrating them. By welcoming everyone because we are all on this journey together! AND by giving praise and glory to God! THESE may be BIG asks, but I believe we can do this…I believe in dreaming BIG and taking BIG risks! AND who better to take those leaps for than Jesus!?!
What better thing to focus on this first weekend of the New Year? Finding your purpose and living in that God given purpose with all you have! Singing those lyrics “Christ be magnified in me” and meaning it! Walking each day forward, in that posture, knowing you will mess up from time to time, but giving yourself a little grace and trying again even if you feel like you failed!
When every creature finds its inmost melody
When every human heart it’s native cry
Then with one enraptured hymn of praise
We’ll sing Christ be Magnified
CHRIST BE MAGNIFIED! We LOVE YOU!