Christ as Head

We sing in a song by Johan O. Smith: “Jesus has become my Head; without Him I could naught attain.” These words express something very fundamental in a Christian life: the need for a living connection with Christ as our head. Without this connection, life quickly becomes unstable. We can be tossed to and fro by different thoughts, and feelings, and by situations we encounter. We let circumstances control us, and we lose our sense of direction and our peace of mind. But when we are firmly rooted in Christ with Him as our head, we stand firm and unwavering, no matter what comes our way. We are firm as Mount Zion in obedience to the truth.

Through this connection, we can begin to sense that He is working in us—His gentle promptings, His guidance, and His peace. In the midst of this, we also find our own life and can lose it. Here we can serve and give, and lay down our lives for our friends.

As humans who in the flesh, we often have a strong need to talk to others about everything—about choices, challenges, and worries. We seek input and confirmation. On the other hand, instead, imagine a life so grounded in God’s word that we allow it to judge, divide, and discern between soul and spirit – so that what is of God can stand firm in us.

A plant needs nourishment to grow, and it can grow for a while in a pot outdoors. But sometimes you see that this is insufficient. There is not enough soil for the roots to grow deep and strong. Then the plant has to be transplanted and placed directly into the soil. There, the roots have plenty of room to stretch and obtain nourishment. Often the plant doesn’t look so nice at first. It appears to be dry, tired and withered, but as the roots take hold, something starts to happen. If you look closely, you see new small shoots start to grow. Growth doesn’t happen overnight. The plant needs time to take root.

That’s how it also is with us. It may look a little shaky on the outside, but on the inside, great things can happen. Although the change is not always visible right away, God works in secret, and through God dealing with us in a mighty way, our roots can grow deeper and deeper in Him. There we find the nourishment and strength we need to grow.

Allowing Christ to be our head means that He is the One we go to about everything: our trials, our needs, our questions, and our weaknesses. Then He is the one that we receive comfort, strength, and guidance from. As it is written in Phil. 2:1-2: “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

And further in Rom. 15:5: “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus.” When Christ truly becomes our head, our minds are also formed to be like His. We are bound together in love, humility, and unity with other believers. It will no longer be our own thoughts and opinions that rule us, but His life within us.

This is not something we achieve in our own strength, but something that grows as we abide in Him. Therefore, it is not primarily about the visible things that we do, but about who we have a connection with as our head.