Posts by reachchurch
Maturity Is Awesome
Read This Week: Ephesians 4
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. – Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV
Awesome is an often-used word in our culture. Just like the theme song of The Lego Movie says, “everything is awesome.” The cars we drive are awesome. The house we live in is awesome. The sports teams we pull for are awesome and on some days, the weather is awesome. Everything is so awesome that we forget what the word even means. Everything is awesome to the point that we lose sight of reality and what we should be.
The definition of the word awesome is “to cause feelings of fear and wonder.” Even though human beings can be impressive and inspiring, not much about any one person embodies the true meaning of awesome. But the definition of the word mature as seen in Ephesians 4 is someone who is “a whole person with integrity and virtue.” This is what God desires for us; to be mature, not awesome. He wants us to be complete followers of Jesus, not people trying to be something we’re not.
Paul starts chapter 4 with the encouragement to “live a life worthy of the calling we have received.” He begins that sentence by referring to himself as a prisoner for the Lord, someone worthy to not only serve but suffer for Christ. That doesn’t sound awesome but Paul wanted the people of Ephesus and us to know that the call of God on our lives is special because of who Jesus is and not who we are. We shouldn’t get that twisted.
We are simply people whom God has gifted in a way that is tailored to our unique design. With his help in our maturation and applying our gifts, we can have an eternal impact in the world and be part of some pretty incredible things. Verse 7 tells us that to “each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it and gave gifts to his people.” It goes on to say that “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, until we all become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
The fact that Christ would choose to work in and through us to accomplish anything is really what causes awe and wonder. We can’t generate that response on our own and we can’t produce those results apart from the Holy Spirit. God’s work is awesome and we are simply called to grow in and use the gifts He has given us for His glory in the world.
We are also called to reveal his awesome glory by treating each other with love. A community whose members are trying to be awesome often disregard and mistreat one another. But a community of faith made up of individuals who are pursuing God and growing will be healthy and loving.
Paul says in verses 25-32 that mature believers bear with each other in love, speak the truth in love, build each other up in love and encourage in love. A mature group of people loving each other without an agenda or motive other than to glorify God is truly awesome. Maturity in Christ is awesome.
A Beautiful Mystery
Read This Week: Ephesians 3
Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. He intended that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Ephesians 3:2-11 NIV
Mystery embodies the core of the human experience. We relate to and are drawn toward the mysterious at the moment we take our first breath until the day we take our last. It is part of who we are, what we sense, and how we think and interact. We are designed to be driven by what we can’t see.
This wonder brings vitality to our existence. Mystery makes us feel alive and takes us to the edge of our seat. If there was no mystery, we would be people without dreams, vision, and imagination. We would lack the desire to understand what we can’t comprehend. The drama of our plot would be replaced by a predictable apathy. The depth of our souls would be shallow and without hope, faith, and the longing for eternal life.
In the New Testament, however, a mystery is not something one cannot see or understand. It is a truth that was hidden in the past that God has now revealed to His followers. A mystery is a “spiritual secret” that is unknown to those outside the faith but understood and valued by the family of God.
Paul talks about one of these mysteries in Ephesians 3. He explains the mystery of the gospel and how it unites all people in one body known as the Church. Paul himself was a perfect example of this mystery. He had been a Jewish leader who was now sharing the good news of Jesus with the Gentiles. Paul was doing the unthinkable and building community among the Jews and Gentiles under the banner of Christ. The world had not seen this before and didn’t understand what was happening.
Verse 6 captures this perfectly where it says, “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” The Gentiles, along with the Jews, received the inheritance which the Lord promised to his people from the beginning. They were all God’s children and members of the same body.
There was and is only one people of God. In the Church, through Jesus, all believers are part of the same community regardless of human differences. Christ’s work on the cross and his resurrection accomplished more than the salvation of individuals. It reconciled and brought Jews and Gentiles to God and each other.
The same reconciling power of Christ that unites all people is still effective and available today. In a volatile and divided world, the unifying nature of the gospel should be seen in the Church. The Church is to put on full display the manifold wisdom of God to those who are unbelieving. It should be a diverse community of individuals from all races, cultures, and backgrounds coming together under faith in Jesus.
God’s plan and work in and through the Church is a beautiful mystery. It is not understood by the world when they see His kindness, goodness, and grace expressed in the lives of His people. But it stands as a beautiful contrast to the ugliness of sinful attitudes and relational discord that divides mankind.
Yes, God had a mysterious plan or “secret” but He does not want it to be a secret anymore. Paul says in verse 9 that the beautiful mystery of God’s plan should now be a splendid realization. He wrote that we are to “make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.”
The Church has the awesome responsibility to explain the mystery; to counter the evil of prejudice, marginalization, and racism that is so prevalent in modern society with love, acceptance, and harmony that comes from our unifying identity in Christ.
Made Alive
Read This Week: Ephesians 2
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. – Ephesians 2:1-5 NIV
In his book, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, Dr. Gary Habermas writes, “If Jesus did not rise from the dead, he was a false prophet and a charlatan whom no rational person should follow. Conversely, if he did rise from the dead, this event confirmed his radical claim.” He goes on to say, “The good news to the world is that the God of the universe has overthrown the powers of darkness by his conquering death and resurrection.”
A dead savior is no savior at all. When the women and disciples discovered the empty tomb and saw that Jesus was alive, they realized that He was unequaled and divine. His resurrection settled, once and for all, that he was indeed the savior of the world.
The Apostle Paul saw Jesus too, and he writes about what it means when we encounter the risen Christ in Ephesians 2. He says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.” Not only did God provide forgiveness of sin through Jesus’ death; he also gave us a new life by his resurrection. God intervened on our behalf and out of his love and mercy, we are made alive together with Christ.
The old life for a follower of Jesus is referred to in the past tense in this chapter. Verse 1 states that you were dead in your transgressions and sins. Verse 2 says you used to live a bad life when you followed the ways of this world. But what was once true for the Christian is not the case anymore. He or she is brought to life from a state of death; brought to newness from their old ways.
Just as he wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,” Paul makes the same point in this passage. He declares in verse 6, “And God raised us with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” When we are made alive in Christ, we experience renewal. When we encounter and are regenerated by the risen savior, we become new people.
This is a new identity and life that God gives us. The old father disappears. The old wife is not around anymore. The old co-worker and friend can’t be found. The old person is gone; renewed forever by the One who conquered death in the grave. The old heart, habits, behavior, and thinking, are radically changed through the power of Jesus.
In Him
Read This Week: Ephesians 1
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him, we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. – Ephesians 1:3-11 NIV
From the very early stages of our lives, we try to satisfy an inner desire to be accepted. We hunger for attention and are constantly searching for people to love us. We strive to acquire things and achieve goals, hoping that our success will give us an identity and appreciation from others.
In spite of our efforts, the approval we desperately want is never fully satisfied. We struggle to find lasting peace and fulfillment in the things we attain and in other people. But our desire for all of this is just a by-product of a deeper emotional and spiritual need. A need that can only be met by a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
The Bible provides an outline for discovering our true identity and few books communicate this better than Ephesians. In these passages, we see that God has given us the promise of heaven and a relationship with Him on earth. These truths answer our deepest questions and longings about our ultimate purpose.
Paul starts his letter to the Ephesians by thanking God for all of the spiritual blessings and benefits that are enjoyed through a relationship with Jesus. He then uses the phrase, in Him several times in the following verses to lay out what those blessings and benefits are. Paul makes it clear that nothing found in and of ourselves is superior to what can be experienced in Him.
In Him, we are chosen and accepted. God chose us even before He created the universe and our salvation is not based on anything we did or have to do, but fully on His grace. He chose us in Christ and not because of who we are trying to be. Therefore, we cannot make ourselves acceptable to God. By his grace and good pleasure, He accepts us in Christ. This is our eternal identity that will never change.
In Him, we have purpose and direction. When we are redeemed through Christ’s finished work on the cross, it means we have been purchased and set free. Free from the law or trying to earn God’s favor. Free from the power of sin and our fallen nature that keeps us confused about who we are. Free from the accusations of the world that we are worthless and without hope. Within this freedom, is the power to live out the purpose God has for our lives and the ability to glorify Him in everything we do. Without this connection, we can do nothing that glorifies God, but with this relationship, even the small things have a purpose.
As we discover our purpose in Him, we find direction. Ephesians 1:8-10, tells us that “With all wisdom and understanding, he (God) made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ.” In Him, we can know God’s will for our lives and even the plan He has laid out for us. It’s no longer a mystery when we follow Christ. We don’t exist in the dark nor do we have to chase a million other things to have vitality in life. Our purpose provides clarity that gives us the freedom to live to the fullest.
In Him, we have a future. God deals with us based on our future, not our past. This passage tells us that in Christ, we have an inheritance. We are valuable to God as He paid the price for us and makes us part of His eternal legacy. We don’t have to worry or base our identity on what we can accumulate on earth. Our future is secure because of awaits us in eternity.
Ephesians 1 provides spiritual power and relief for the follower of Christ. It says there is “incomparably great power for us who believe.” And that “power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.” That is some other-worldly power sufficient to give us all the hope, peace, and joy we need to be successful.
It shows that our identity is not in the positions we hold, the effectiveness of our work or who our friends are. Instead, it is found in being God’s creation and the object of His love. We don’t have to live one more second with a performance-oriented perspective. What we do or don’t accomplish in this fleeting world doesn’t have one bearing on who we are as people. Our lives have wholistic value in Christ and we are called by God to embrace this truth and apply it.
Protected Minds
Read This Week: Philippians 4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7 NIV
Anxiety is a profound issue and the most common mental illness in the United States. It’s also not unusual for someone with anxiety to suffer from a myriad of other personality disorders. Occasional anxious thoughts are an expected part of life, but severe anxiety involves more than temporary worry or fear. It does not go away and gets worse over time.
The official definition of anxiety is “a nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behavior or panic attacks.” In the context of Philippians 4, anxiety means a divided mind. It describes the mind as looking two ways and not being able to find a place where it can settle down. In this passage, anxiety is an inability to stabilize and protect the mind from wrong thinking.
The Philippian believers were struggling with negative, anxious thoughts and needed help. In verse 6, Paul repeats the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:25, where he said, “Do not be anxious.” He is trying to redirect them and us away from self-dependence that often leads to feelings of loneliness and painful anxiety amid life’s difficulties and uncertainties.
This anxiety, according to the Scriptures, does not express trust in God. It is the misplaced reliance on self that produces fear, worry, and emotional suffering. Paul says we should care about and be concerned with our lives but should stop the pattern of powerless self-sufficiency and turn to God in faith. The exercise of confidence in God frees and protects us from anxiety.
The early Christians had plenty of reasons to be anxious in their circumstances. Not unlike us in modern days, they faced societal pressures, family problems, relational issues, and hard times. Paul’s encouragement to stop being anxious is not making light of their problems but reminds them that the power of Christ is greater than their troubles.
The phrase will guard in verse 7 is a military term for surrounding and protecting something. When we seek God and his truth in our lives, He circles and protects our heart and mind like skilled soldiers defending their position. The peace of Christ stands guard outside the door to our inner selves and stops anxious thoughts. It does this in a manner that we can’t understand and doesn’t make sense given the context of what we are walking through. We experience peace when our circumstances suggest otherwise.
It has been said that “prayerlessness is a declaration of independence from God.” When we fail to pursue God, worship, and do life with Him, our minds can become fragmented and susceptible to high levels of anxiety. To become overanxious to the point that we can’t function is harmful and denies faith in God’s ability to help us navigate our lives.
We need to exercise faith and a prayerful approach to life that will submit us to God’s power and control. It allows us to do the best we can in any circumstance, asking God to work with and beyond our human strength. This submission to the Lord is where we find protection and peace. When we realize that the Holy Spirit is working and active on our behalf in both the good and bad moments, we experience stillness and joy instead of crippling anxiety.
Keep Going
Read This Week: Philippians 3
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:12-14 NIV
If you’ve ever climbed to the top of a mountain, you know how challenging it can be physically and mentally. The process of getting to the top requires guidance to stay on course, patience with the path, and perseverance when you feel like giving up. It also takes an awareness of yourself and the mountain.
Many climbers and trekkers have failed to reach the summit because they arrogantly overestimated their ability and naively underestimated the mountain. They became complacent when they should’ve stayed alert and focused; they let their guard down because they assume finishing is inevitable. They don’t experience the prize of standing on top because they take for granted what it takes to get there.
In the church at Philippi, complacency and spiritual arrogance were present among the members. Some were claiming that they had arrived at their goal and were beyond responsibility and the need for progress. Some assumed that they had already made it to the top. They were overrating their condition, deceived about their sin problem and undervaluing the difficult nature of life.
In Philippians 3, Paul wants the early Christians and us to understand that just because we have faith in Christ and his grace, we’ve not yet reached the prize that we’re trying to attain. He uses himself as an example and says that despite how far he has come since the Damascus road, he still has a long way to go toward his goal of spiritual and moral maturity. He points toward God’s active power in his life through the resurrection of Christ but makes it clear that his conversion was a starting place for growth and not the end. He and every believer must keep going because we haven’t obtained the goal.
This is a great reminder for every follower of Jesus and those who desire to walk with God and climb the various mountains of life. We live in the creative tension of being imperfect, weak, and sinful while also having the power of the Holy Spirit to help us be impeccable in our behavior, strong, and successful. We experience great spiritual breakthroughs but also get caught up in things that are shameful and messy. We know both the joy of spiritual highs and the despair of sinful lows.
Pressing on toward the prize is having the maturity to recognize the tension we live in as Christians while also having the desire and determination to keep going with God’s help. To be aware that we aren’t at the top but maintaining the daily effort to stay connected to the One who works in us to get there. To keep going is to be motivated by Christ’s love, presence and sustaining grace; to live worthy of his calling no matter how challenging the path. To press on with passion and discipline no matter how tempting it is to be complacent.
We keep going because God has so much more He wants to accomplish in our lives and the world. This is not the time or opportunity to stop. We are to be like Paul and forget about the failure, brokenness, and setbacks of the past and look toward the future prize with clarity and understanding that we aren’t there yet, but we will be.
Not Who But How?
Read This Week: Philippians 2
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. – Philippians 2:1-4 NIV
We are so concerned with who is going to be in our lives. Think about it. Ever since we understood what a relationship is, our focus has been on the people who will be our friend, our date or our potential spouse. We have to find that person we click with or have an affinity for. We must locate the ones that meet our criteria and fulfill our expectations. If we don’t, we become frustrated, unfulfilled and depressed.
This happens at school, work, church, in the community and especially on social media. Our relational journey is controlled by who is and who is not in our circle or attached to us. Perhaps our focus should shift a little bit. The who question is still relevant because, without it, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But what if we got a little more internally focused as opposed to looking at others all the time?
Think for a second if we became less obsessed with who is going to be our friend, date or spouse and began to focus on what kind of person we are supposed to be and how God has instructed us to act within relationships. Philippians 1:27 tells us that Christians should live in a manner worthy of the gospel and in Philippians 2, Paul outlines exactly what that looks like as we are empowered by Christ. From this passage, we see the traits and emotions that we should have and are necessary for wholesome relationships.
The characteristics that need to be present to achieve unity and harmony with others are encouragement, comfort, affection, sympathy, love, humility and sacrifice. He also makes sure to warn us of a few things we must not exhibit in relationships if they are going to be dynamic, healthy and God-honoring and those are rivalry, conceit, and selfishness.
If a person is regularly displaying (not without slipping or failing at times) the 8 characteristics and avoiding the 3 characteristics laid out in Philippians 2, they should have no problem finding, keeping and enjoying good relationships. It’s as simple as that.
An encourager who brings comfort, fights for unity, displays affection and sympathy while exhibiting God’s love in a humble and sacrificial manner is someone who will experience a life of deep relationships no matter where they go or what space they occupy. So, it becomes less about who we will be in relationship with and more about how we will act and behave in one.
All Christians must answer the call to live in a manner worthy of the gospel when it comes to being in community with others. We have a responsibility to contribute to the unity and oneness of God’s people while maintaining a healthy respect for and genuine interest in one another above ourselves as we express the love of Christ that redeems and transforms.
Joy In Focus
Read This Week: Philippians 1
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith. – Philippians 1:3-4, 21, 25 NIV
Prison is not a desirable place to be. Prisons are volatile and stressful and require a person to react and adapt at a high level just to survive the experience. The psychological toll that incarceration takes on the average person is immense and has a life long impact even for those behind bars a short period of time.
Being in prison for just two hours makes a bad day at the office look like a birthday party full of pony rides, bouncy houses, and award-winning cupcakes. Needless to say, prison is not an environment or experience that we often equate to joy, peace, and thankfulness. Unless, of course, you’re the Apostle Paul.
Paul wrote a letter to his friends in the city of Philippi while he was being held as a prisoner in Rome. Roman jails were brutal places where inmates were starved, tortured and if they were lucky, neglected. Paul was there not because he had committed a crime, but because he was preaching the good news of Jesus. His unwavering love and devotion to Christ and the Gospel had landed him in the most difficult of situations.
But in spite of his afflictions, Paul shared with his Philippian friends how much he loved them and detailed the circumstances of his time in prison while expressing his inner peace and gratitude. He wrote with conviction and filled his writing with hopeful joy. The word rejoice occurs eleven times in his letter and the word joy occurs five times. How could he do this while sitting in prison?
One thing is evident in reading the book of Philippians – the Apostle Paul was a focused man. He was focused on Jesus and living out and proclaiming the Gospel. Period. His focus allowed him to do life with a sense of expectancy; a confident hope and joy that he would be purposeful for the cause of Christ even if he died. In fact, he saw death as an ultimate purpose when he wrote, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Nothing would deter Paul from the mission of loving and serving Jesus. Through his trials, temptation, attack and captivity, he remained focused and that allowed him to experience joy even when his circumstances suggested that he should be overwhelmed with sorrow. He lived with faith, intentionality, and embodied an expectant hope in God’s purpose for his life. His focus on the joy of knowing Jesus and not his place in life empowered his unshakeable satisfaction through the worst of times.
Could it be that we struggle with joy because we struggle to focus? We certainly don’t live in a world inclined toward focus. We can barely pay attention must less harness the power that comes from focusing on the right things. We give more attention to what drains and frustrates us than we do to a fulfilling relationship with God. We give more credence to our problems and feelings about them than we do to our Savior. We focus more on what we can do instead of on the One who can actually do something.
The more we lock into God, the more we’ll begin to understand His purpose for our lives and our unique place in His story. We will see our problems not as something to fear but as a necessary part of our ultimate good. The focus will change our self-centered perspective and points us toward the truth. The truth that life is to be rejoiced over simply because God created us for a grand purpose and Christ has set us free to experience it.
We need to adjust our focus in order to have joy. Paul states in verse 20 of Philippians 1 that his life would bring honor to Christ. In this context, honor means “a celebration.” Paul’s life did bring fame and glory to Christ because he was faithful to and focused on Him. A life focused on God always brings a celebration to the name of Jesus and a celebration in our heart. There is joy in focus.
Real Conversation
Read This Week: Colossians 4
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. – Colossian 4:2-6 NIV
It’s ironic that in Matthew 21:13, Jesus said, “My house will be called a house of prayer,” as he was defending the purity of worship, yet, prayer is often the last thing we do as followers of Jesus. It’s not always as cool as music nor is it considered as captivating as public speaking, but it is supposed to be a center point of a believer’s life.
Prayer is the most important conversation we can have because we are conversing with the God of the universe. Nothing is more sacred or meaningful than talking to God and if we do it out of a desire to pursue Him, it can actively transform and reshape our lives and communities.
In concluding his letter to the Colossians, Paul wanted to remind the people to be devoted to prayer. But he didn’t want them to form a religious habit out of it. He wanted them to increase their spiritual attention and build a close, personal relationship with Jesus. Intimacy with God is the essence of prayer. Our desire toward seeking him should not be filled with selfish ambition, religious strategy, and conceit. We should talk to God simply because He is worthy, and as we pursue Him, we become more attentive to His heart and perfect will for us. We develop insight and spiritual awareness that leads to a deeper, richer and more meaningful life.
Colossians 4 says that prayer makes us watchful and thankful. It not only increases our spiritual attention but causes us to value God more than what we want from Him. As we devote ourselves to pray, we become a lot more interested in the person of God rather than the perks of prayer. Our hearts grow in thankfulness for who He is, who we are and what He has done for us. A daily conversation with God empowers us to enjoy and value the relationship we are able to have with our Creator.
When we value and enjoy God, we will have an ignited heart for his message. Paul writes, “Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, clearly, as I should.” As we consistently petition God, there is a swelling passion for the Gospel and its power to save, heal and transform. Friends, neighbors, family members, and people groups are being lifted up out of a desire to see the transforming message of Christ spoken, preached and lived out.
Lastly, Colossians 4 teaches us that as we pray, we are building a community with others. There is a deepening both vertically and horizontally. As people are growing closer to God, they are inevitably growing closer to each other. Prayer empowers our relationships to be more authentic and our conversation to be always full of grace and love. The bonds of friendship and fellowship have been forged and solidified by people praying with and for one another.
Let It Go
Read This Week: Colossians 3
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. – Colossians 3:12-14 NIV
Unforgiveness. That is one terrible little adjective and discouraging idea. It ruins lives. It causes heart attacks. It splits families, ends friendships and makes people old before their time. Forgiveness. That is a wonderful noun qualifier and uplifting thought. It enriches lives, establishes relational harmony, brings glory to God and leads to greater physical and emotional health.
In Colossians 3, the Apostle Paul writes about a new life in Christ. He details how someone who has a relationship with Jesus does not behave, interact or engage in their former lifestyle. He makes it clear that things like sexual immorality, greed, anger, slander, and lying have no place in the life of a Christ-follower. But he goes on to assert what should be present and expressed in a Christian’s life.
Paul says in light of God’s love for us that has changed our lives, we are to display his will by being a people of love, hope, and peace. We should embody kindness, gentleness, patience, and affection. He then decides to put special emphasis on forgiveness and expound on it a bit by writing, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Forgiveness that is seen in the life of a believer reflects the compassion and grace shown to the world through Jesus. It is a powerful emotion that goes against the natural tendencies of human nature, the inclinations of society and points to the transcendent beauty of God’s character and heart. A person of forgiveness understands that they have been forgiven.
A forgiving person puts others before themselves. Humility and mercy are essential to forgiveness. Before Paul tells the people to make room for each other’s faults and forgive one another, he tells them to “clothe themselves with tenderhearted mercy and humility.” Forgiving those who have wronged or offended us is difficult and cannot be done when we lack the mercy and humility that will help us see the value in others and in restoration.
A forgiving person is an encouragement to those around them. Paul says in verse 13 to “make allowance for other’s faults.” In other translations, it says to “bear with each other” or plainly, don’t give up on each other. Expressing forgiveness to someone says we’re not giving up on them and that is a very encouraging thing to both experience and witness. Being in an environment where everyone knows their shortcomings are allowed and will be forgiven if needed, is a promising environment filled with encouragement.
A forgiving person reaffirms love and peace. Love is the summary of all the things described in this passage and it perfectly fulfills what God requires of us in relationships. Therefore, forgiving someone is a quintessential loving act and the love expressed through it provides harmony, comfort, and peace. The forgiveness we are to show can console, restore and bring lasting peace to a relationship, family, workplace or community. Paul writes in verse 15, “For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.” Forgiveness is the gateway to peace.
Scenarios in life that require us to apply forgiveness will never go away. There will always be a need for it. We must pursue the understanding and practice of forgiveness. What if we individually and collectively lived in a perpetual state of forgiveness? What if we could effectively let it go? These are important questions to ponder as we seek to walk with God, display his love and live in peace.