1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints…. the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel.
This week I will start a new Biblical series from Paul's letter to the Church at Colosse. After his initial greeting to the believers, he shares essentials in their Christian life for which he is thankful. These essential characteristics prove themselves true even during bad times.
What do you do when you are having a bad day? Sometimes there are signs that are evident when you know it's going to be a bad day. Here's an illustration I read. "You know it's going to be a bad day...
…. when you turn on the news and their showing emergency routes out of town."
…. when your four-year-old tells you that it’s almost impossible to flush a grapefruit down the toilet."
Circumstances that surround us often define for us whether the day is going to be good or bad. It is not the outward circumstances that dictate our day, but the inward resources. There is a Gospel song, “I’m, Gonna Keep Walkin’” including these words, “I'm going to keep walking, keep talking, keep singing in Jesus’ name. I'm going to keep believing, receiving, everything He has for me." The verse says, "I don't' have time to waste on these earthly pursuits, the kind of gain I'm after has ultimate use."
Paul was some kind of optimist because he was arrested, he was sentenced to go to Caesar, people hated him being a Christian, they tried to kill him. Even so, while he is in prison, he is still ministering to people and to the believers. It was during this time he heard about the young church in Colossae, and he wrote them this letter. He was not letting the outward circumstances give him a bad day. In fact, as he was conscious of the presence of Jesus Christ in his heart and mind and thoughts, he was having a good day.
in this letter to the Colossians contrast their hope with the hopelessness with which many people were facing then and are facing today. In the U.S. we are not being actively persecuted, but people are losing hope. Teen suicide is rising. There is increased alcoholism, drug abuse, hurtful lifestyle, homosexuality, financial failure, broken marriages, false friends, and failed health are some of the causes for losing hope.
Let’s look at some of these resources that come from the inside. With them you learn to ignore and even overcome the outward challenging circumstances. Paul's thanksgiving was a result of what was demonstrated by the believers at Colossae.
Application: What in your life is causing you to lose hope?
Prayer: Lord, help me to be conscious of the presence of Jesus Christ in my heart and mind and thoughts. Teach me to rely on the Holy Spirit as the resource within me to live above my circumstances.
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