Above all things …

The new hire orientation for new employees of a large, international corporation was held every Monday on the 20th floor of its corporate headquarters. The CEO loved the attention his position brought him, so each Monday he would go down to the 20th floor to welcome the new hires.

The executive didn’t just love the attention of his position, he also liked to shock people. Whenever he would attend the orientation, he would suddenly bolt toward the floor-to-ceiling window as if he were going to jump. As he did so, the new personnel would react with startled fear, and some would point and scream. But the window was so strong the boss would bounce off it, and he would laugh at the response of those who thought he was going to jump.

One Monday morning, the CEO introduced himself to the orientation attendees and then, wanting to have some fun at their expense, he turned and ran toward the window. This time, as he hurled himself at the window, the glass gave way and the executive plummeted to his death.

There’s always a cost to demanding to be the center of everyone’s attention; it’s a position reserved for only One. Colossians 1:15-18 speaks of the supreme position of Jesus and then describes the concept of the preeminence of Christ with a simple sentence …

“… So he is first in everything,” Colossians 1:18.

Do you demand to be central in the lives of others, a place reserved for Christ alone? Or do you yield center space to Jesus?

What about in your own life … is Christ alone “first in everything”?

Scotty