Christ in You and You and You and You
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:24–27 Read More
Jesus told the disciples that they would have struggles. He told them that they might even be persecuted to the point of death. Whatever suffering and affliction Paul is talking about here is not a complaint or a meaningless suffering. By rejoicing and honoring Jesus, he turns his suffering into fellowship with the Lord. Especially in the case that his sufferings are for someone else. The pointlessness of suffering fades right away when it’s for the sake of someone else.
Look next at how Paul describes his calling. He is a minister according to the stewardship from God for the Colossians. He believes that God has entrusted the church of Colossae to Paul for their care, maturity, and fruitfulness. This is not some tyrant trying to rule over people or control them for his own means. Paul’s stewardship is like a foster parent caring for children in need. He desires to help them to fully see the word of God that has come in Jesus Christ.
Finally, look at how he describes the people. They are the hope of glory because Christ is in them. The mystery of the ages, is there a god and what is it like, has been answered in Christ and now lives in all of them by the Holy Spirit. God’s abundant mercy and grace is for all who believe in Christ, not just a single race of chosen people or a group that lives within certain borders.
Put all of these together and it will change your day. No suffering is meaningless, especially if you rejoice and unite yourself with the Lord in it. Any people you come in contact with are people that God has given to you in order to steward them, care for them, as they grow in Christ. And finally, the people you see and serve are all precious and made in God’s image. As Christ shows up in them and lives out His life through them, the hope of the ages is fulfilled.
This is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
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