"I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally." (Colossians 2:1)
I know in college I was a professional at speed-reading...you know, when you have 3 books to read in one night (slight exaggeration) you gotta fasten your seatbelt and put on the speed! But, in our Bible study, I believe that each sentence, in fact, each WORD is important. God's Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12)- every single word! So, don't skim the surface...dig deep! I camped out on Colossians 2:1 yesterday and stayed there for quite a while. There are many truths crammed in those 26 words...let's dig in...
*Struggling for YOU
Paul tells the Colossians that he is struggling to get rich and popular...right? Uh...no. Paul testifies that he is struggling for PEOPLE, so that he might present to them the Word of God in its fullness (Colossians 2:25). He invested in others...eternal souls. Even though it was a struggle at times (btw- ministry can be hard), he knew it was worth the struggle.
*Struggling for those at Laodicea
Remember reading about the Laodiceans in Revelation? This is what was said about these folks: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are luke-warm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked." (Revelation 4:15-17) So, why did Paul struggle for these people? After all, their priorities seemed out of whack, and they didn't even realize their need for a Savior. He struggled for them because it was worth it...they were people/eternal souls, and he knew his mission. It's hard to minister to folks who don't care about what you are saying, to those that care more about the things of this world than the message in Scripture, to people who don't grasp the big picture yet...sometimes it feels like it would be easier to give up...but, don't! God has called you to share His Word with them- not to save them...GOD is the Savior.
*Struggling "for all who have not met me personally"
Paul invested in people...even if he he didn't know them personally...he still struggled for them. Now, in our minds, it makes sense to struggle for someone you know deeply- for a close friend, a relative, or someone you respect. But for someone you haven't even met? Wow...that's love...God's love.
So...what or WHO are we struggling for? Our struggles may not be identical to Paul's, but we can have the same purpose...to invest in PEOPLE for the glory of God.
1 comment:
That was very inspiring, like a role model for how we, christians should be feeling about hearing about people not accepting or denouncing belief in the real Jesus Christ for the "new" religions. Even though they should be willing to listen to reasoning and see what Christ has done for them, we still need to "struggle", hurt and pray for them and their pride, that Christ will reveal to them that they do need him, and their wealth is not going to help them secure their eternity
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