I have been caught up recently by the “gospel-centered” movement. I don’t mean to make it sound like a passing fad, but more appropriate words fail me at the moment. I don’t confess to yet be living a gospel-centered life as I see it defined, but I have caught glimpses of it over the past few months that make it the most desirable thing I could possibly imagine. I have been caught up in the scandal of Christ that is God’s grace to his enemies, which has brought me to my knees in thanksgiving. I have seen his sovereignty in this world, and coupled with his loving grace, has brought confidence in circumstances of this life – good or bad. And so I have lived without worry. Or was it apathy? As I see future decisions with so many unknowns that it makes any effort to decide a fruitless endeavor, I am accused of not planning for the future. So, am I trusting in Christ’s finished work for the future, or am I simply being a lazy idiot? I have found that in pretty much anything I plan for, the circumstances change (i.e. someone is late, someone is early, something doesn’t arrive, something else comes, there was a misunderstanding) to the extent that decisions must be made on the fly anyway. I have found it is easier/faster/cheaper to deal with the effects of a problem than to try to prevent the problem outright. (For these, I pick my battles – some problems are worth the extra effort to avoid.)

But a gospel-centered life has no room for apathy. These glimpses into the joy we have in Christ appear to be feeding my pride, puffing me up and making me think I know better than so many others. A gospel-centered life means I can plan my heart out without worrying about the outcomes, knowing that God uses the process as much, if not more, than the result. The solution to gospel-centered apathy is more gospel, more gazing (not glimpsing) into the glory and grace of God through our savior Jesus, until we are overwhelmed by his mercy and his love pours out of us onto others with the urgency of eternity at stake – the opposite of apathy.