God of our assurances, bless this dear reader in all he or she may need or face; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Our text comes from Colossians 1: 24-29: (The Message version) 24 I want you to know how glad I am that it's me sitting here in this jail and not you. There's a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world - the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church's part of that suffering. 25 When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God's way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth. 26 This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. 27 God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. 28 We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. 29 That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.
Which is worse? To be run down or to be run over? Which do you think your church is? And which do you think you are? Yes, there is a difference. To be run down means inside you've run out of energy because of hard work or a hard struggle. To be run over means you've been hit by outside stress and pressures and you've been knocked down. In either case, the key is not to be knocked out. Our churches are reflecting today the stresses and pressures of a world that is filled with fear and loathing. The fears however real or unreal, cause people to react negatively towards challenges and worse, towards others. The church, meaning you and me, is forgetting what Paul says is a mystery as he shares in verse 27: "Christ is in you." Can you say that to yourself right now (quietly if you're at work or in a classroom!) "Christ is in me!" Paul says that to know this is to make us rich knowing that we can all "look forward to sharing in God's glory." Some folks are acting poor and knocked out! And sadly, this is what they're bringing to worship. Our job and joy should be to be filled up and living out a rich life that becomes contagious to those around us, a life of hope and promise that says the best is yet to come.
Paul wrote these words of joy and hope in a prison cell. He gave thanks it was him and not us sitting in that jail. And with joy he sets out to encourage the church (that's you and me) to do its work. What would we have written under similar circumstances? In today's world we'd be on the phone to our attorney with a simple message: GET ME OUT OF HERE! And then we'd pray the same. Paul prayed that he might glorify God and help the church at the same time. The church still needs our help.
PRAYER: Loving God, tomorrow is not yet revealed, but I know You're involved and You're with me. I pray that my spirit would soar today as I know that all that I need to do, You will do with me. I know that all that I may face today, You will face with me. I pray that I might be the message of joy and hope that those around me need to receive. May I be a joyful ambassador of Yours to all. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
