I read the words “It’s not about you.”–the first four words of Rick Warren’s best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life.

It’s embarrassing to admit how profoundly those words hit me as a 23-year old youth minister’s wife.

I had graduated from college, entered into marriage and discovered I had no idea who I really was and further my circumstances resembled nothing I had expected.

I was at a loss.

The foundation I had built upon of my own skills, control of a situation and confidence in those around me began to completely crumble.

I sat down in our hand-me-down chair, opened a new book that had just come out by a pastor in California and read those infamous words–“It’s not about you.”

That day began a shift God was making in my heart to truly make Him my center–the one in whom my life would revolve.

For the first time, I recognized God didn’t exist for my comfort.

God didn’t exist to make a big deal out of me.

We exist to make a big deal out of him.

It’s not about you.  It’s not about me.

It’s all about Him.

Such a shift comes with resistance, however.

Each of us come with a default to selfishness.

I want a husband who makes me a happy, a job that satisfies, weather that comforts and traffic that moves smoothly.

In a pursuit of Jesus, I’ve realized shifting my default from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness requires an intentional surrender of my will.

Instead of expecting God to exist for me, I embrace my existence for Him.

“For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.”–Ephesians 2:10

As a 23-year old newly married youth minister’s wife, I faced an identity crisis–I didn’t know who I was.  And when things fell apart, so did I.

God put the pieces back together and He started with a simple truth, “It’s not about me!”

I exist for Him–to bring Him glory.  He wants to completely transform my life–and He has and continues to. (Philippians 1:6)

I am His workmanship–He has plan for my life and that plan is about HIM, not me.

What about you?

Have you found yourself questioning God in the midst of your circumstances?  Do you need the reminder that it’s not about you?

God is at work…He wants you to run to Him and often He uses our circumstances to draw us back to Himself so He might transform us and use us in the way He prepared ahead of time for our lives.

God does not exist for you.  You are His masterpiece and you exist for Him!

Has God sought to get your attention?  What did that look like?  How did He reveal His truth in your life?