I had a conversation with a good friend on Friday about how easy it can be for my focus to be on the wrong things. I can get so caught up in things at work, the sinus cold that makes my head hurt, or the desire to be married that I fail to look beyond my own life to acknowledge who's life I should be focused on. My pride gets in the way all too often of experiencing the greatest treasure imaginable, Jesus Christ.
It is during these times that I am reminded to return to the fundamental ideas of what a Christ-centered life looks like. Who is my treasure? Where should my focus be? Who is the one actually doing the work and providing the ability to endure? Christ is the only true answer for these questions. Sometimes I forget that He is the treasure because I am focused on learning about Christ or singing a song about Him. Really what I should be doing is continually focusing on Christ as I learn about Him or sing to Him.
What might our lives look like if we get our attention out of the things we are doing and focus on the one whom we treasure? I desire to know the answer to this question!
Before I began reading Colossians this morning, I prayed for God to reveal Himself to me through His Word. I've continued to see God grant this request repeatedly in the months that I have prayed and I expect that God will continue to be faithful to grant this request. I thank and praise Him for that!
At the end of chapter 1, Paul says that he toils with the energy of Christ which so powerfully works in him. The beginning of chapter 2 speaks of the churches that Paul has not been able to visit and how Paul struggles and prays for them. His desire for them in verses 2 and 3 reveals a great truth about Jesus Christ and ties in perfectly with the fundamental idea of Christ as our greatest treasure. They say:
that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Christ is at the center of these two verses. He is God's mystery. He is the One of whom we hope to acquire the riches of full assurance of understanding and knowledge. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Isn't Jesus amazing?
I know I desire full assurance and the riches that accompany that assurance. What must I do? I'm thankful that Scripture is so clear. I must not stop short and fool myself into believing that the riches of wisdom and knowledge are the end. It is not a knowledge of God that I seek. It is God Himself that I seek. And when I truly seek God above all else, the knowledge, assurance, wisdom, and understanding of God follow. It is the same for all relationships, isn't it? If I want to really get to know someone, I have to listen to that person and desire to know that person. If I just want to know about them, I can probably read it in some book.
My prayer for all of us is that we don't stop at just knowing about God. Our hope should be set on Christ, who is alive and actively working in and through our lives! Let's seek to know our Best Friend and stand in awe as all the treasures of Christ are revealed to us!
Holy God, may your church run the race set before us with endurance having our eyes fixed on the Founder and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus Christ. Amen.
It is during these times that I am reminded to return to the fundamental ideas of what a Christ-centered life looks like. Who is my treasure? Where should my focus be? Who is the one actually doing the work and providing the ability to endure? Christ is the only true answer for these questions. Sometimes I forget that He is the treasure because I am focused on learning about Christ or singing a song about Him. Really what I should be doing is continually focusing on Christ as I learn about Him or sing to Him.
What might our lives look like if we get our attention out of the things we are doing and focus on the one whom we treasure? I desire to know the answer to this question!
Before I began reading Colossians this morning, I prayed for God to reveal Himself to me through His Word. I've continued to see God grant this request repeatedly in the months that I have prayed and I expect that God will continue to be faithful to grant this request. I thank and praise Him for that!
At the end of chapter 1, Paul says that he toils with the energy of Christ which so powerfully works in him. The beginning of chapter 2 speaks of the churches that Paul has not been able to visit and how Paul struggles and prays for them. His desire for them in verses 2 and 3 reveals a great truth about Jesus Christ and ties in perfectly with the fundamental idea of Christ as our greatest treasure. They say:
that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Christ is at the center of these two verses. He is God's mystery. He is the One of whom we hope to acquire the riches of full assurance of understanding and knowledge. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Isn't Jesus amazing?
I know I desire full assurance and the riches that accompany that assurance. What must I do? I'm thankful that Scripture is so clear. I must not stop short and fool myself into believing that the riches of wisdom and knowledge are the end. It is not a knowledge of God that I seek. It is God Himself that I seek. And when I truly seek God above all else, the knowledge, assurance, wisdom, and understanding of God follow. It is the same for all relationships, isn't it? If I want to really get to know someone, I have to listen to that person and desire to know that person. If I just want to know about them, I can probably read it in some book.
My prayer for all of us is that we don't stop at just knowing about God. Our hope should be set on Christ, who is alive and actively working in and through our lives! Let's seek to know our Best Friend and stand in awe as all the treasures of Christ are revealed to us!
Holy God, may your church run the race set before us with endurance having our eyes fixed on the Founder and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus Christ. Amen.
This is solid... You have hit the foundational principle of sanctification Here is a quote from a book on sanctification which I have been reading lately....speaking of infants becoming adults " As they get older those who have been passively joined to Christ by the Spirit of faith will begin to join themselves to him actively be faith. When they begin to act in faith in this way they will know and enjoy their union with Christ. They will really come to understand how comforting saving faith is! They will also begin to live by faith more and more and thus they will begin more and more to live holy lives." crazy how God works "It is all because of Jesus I am alive"
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