God has given me the
responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to
you. This message was kept secret for
centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches
and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ
lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.
So we tell others
about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God
has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect[g] in their relationship
to Christ. That’s why I work and
struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me. 1
Colossians 1:25-29
At Sunday service, my pastor challenged the congregation
with something that seems simple but was one of those ‘you really don’t know
what you are getting into until you are actually into it’ moments. He asked us that when facing trouble with a
person to pray, “God, help me to represent you well today.” It sounds easy enough, and when you say it,
there is a level of both calm and confidence that comes with it. However once we get to that situation, we
struggle with the infamous hijacker of many of our faith based ambitions known
as ‘That Person in the Mirror.’ As one
of my favorite contemporary Christian songs says, “Left to myself, I realize I
am the maker of my own demise.” My
fears, reservations, and doubts slowly creep in and try to dig in their
heels. Before I know it, I am in the
midst of the storm. Keep in mind this is
the storm before the actual storm. Is it
any wonder that we fail before the fight has begun? It’s not that our faith is not strong. However, we are already battle weary such
that when the real storm hits, we are unable to fight anymore. So how do we prepare to win the battle? How can we combat an enemy that is as great as
we are because in essence, the enemy is us?
The key to victory is not realizing Christ is not only just
with you but also within you. Today’s
verses provide encouragement to the battle weary reminding them that though the
work and struggle may be hard, we are assured of glory in Heaven through
Christ. Our past struggles and
transgressions may tell us we are not deserving of such love, grace, and
power. But if Christ is within us, we
know with certainty and assurance as written in Romans 8:37 that “in all these
things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” We all go through stretches where we are battle
tested but often battle weary. No one
does well having to constantly fight for if you are constantly fighting
everyone and everything, your hands are always clenched and closed. However to receive God’s love and mercy our
hands must be up and open. God wants us
to open our hearts to Him, and through Him, we will find a reserve that is liken
to God Himself; omnipotent/all powerful!
We can always see victory if our perspective is Christ-like. Yes, there are times we will not see the end
of our suffering, but we must have confidence that God is not only with us but
within us. We can answer the enemies of
self-doubt and fear with the words of David saying, “The Lord is my light and
salvation – whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1a – NIV). What fears and doubts have settled in to your
mind that God can remove today? How can
you remember to recall God’s strength in you when you are battle weary? My prayer is that when you are weary from the
battle, remember God is both with and within you. You will win!
Amen.
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