The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Colossians 2:10,
"...in Christ you have been brought to fullness."
This letter of Paul to the Colossian believers, folks he had yet to meet, contains one of what I view as "premier" passages about Jesus Christ. Of course, all Scripture is inspired by God and therefore vastly important. But there are several passages that have focus on our Lord that I find are helpful for us to know him, pointed directly at who he is and what he is like. Passages such as John 1, Philippians 2, Hebrews 1 and here in Colossians 1. While this letter has its wonderful focus on Jesus Christ, it also has its focus on what he does in our lives. He brings a "fullness" to our lives.
Consider this list of things culled from this letter:
Faith, love, hope, knowledge of God's will, wisdom and understanding from the Spirit, bearing fruit in every good work, growth in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power, great endurance, joyfully thankful, fully mature in Christ, encouraged in heart, united in love, full riches of complete understanding, knowledge of the mystery of God, disciplined, rooted and built up in Christ Jesus, strengthened in faith, overflowing with thankfulness, fullness in Christ, circumcision of the sinful nature, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with others, forgiving others, peace of Christ, gratitude, submissiveness, obedience, not embittering, sincerity of heart, reverence for the Lord, devoted to prayer, watchful, wise in actions, capitalizing on opportunities to further the Lord's agenda, graceful conversation seasoned with salt.
Not an exhaustive list from this letter - can you find a few I missed? These are things we have, or should have, or are things we should be in the pursuit of obtaining. These are all things from the Lord. Things he gives us, things he builds into our lives, and as I say, things we should have or things we should have expectation of receiving from him. Some of these things are ours outright as members of his family and some are contingent upon our pursuit of them. As I look at this list, I consider my own life. How many of these things mark my life? To what degree do they mark my life? How many of them am I in pursuit of? Each and every one of these things are ours to possess. As a group, they create a very good barometer to measure our new life in Jesus Christ. Imagine us being filled to fullness with them all! It is my belief that is exactly what the Lord desires and intends for us - get ready to be stretched!
What kind of impact do these things bring to our lives? What kind of difference do these things make for us personally? These are the reflections that bring an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the Lord, for the wonderful things he brings to our lives.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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