Colossians 1:10-13 NKJV 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might according to His glorious power for all patience, and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
As I read these scriptures and apply them to my personal walk with God, I marvel at Paul, who was suffering in prison as he wrote these beautiful words. His strength and perseverance is amazing! His fire and zeal for the Lord never wavers. The more hardship and punishment that he endured brought his relationship with his Heavenly Father closer. He even went so far in other passages to sing and praise God during his prison stay. In my heart, I believe that Paul actually enjoyed his hardship because he truly respected what his Lord and Savior suffered on his behalf. I think he felt this was the least he could do!
You know, I admire Paul so much! He started as Saul, a jew who persecuted the christians and ended up Paul protector of the Lord's Church. He considered himself least in the kingdom because of the wrong he had done against Christ. You can read a little about his personal journey from Saul to Paul in the book of Acts chapters 7 and 8 and then throughout his writings in the New Testament. Paul may have at one time been against Christ, but he eventually became very important to us today. Paul was chosen by God to see a glimpse into heaven so he could give us a peek of what we could hope for. He also wrote many books in the New Testament sharing with the churches what God wanted them to do to be in proper perspective with Him. And we use them as a pattern for our lives today. If God can change someone like Saul into Paul and turn him from destroyer of the church into protector of the church, then what is God able to do with you and me?
I think we all struggle in our own day to day prisons. Chains of sin, wrongful thinking, struggles with making proper decisions, and how we treat others. When I am hurt, I think of Paul. He did not allow anything to draw him away from the Love of God. And the more Paul did for the Kingdom, the more problems he incurred. In parallel to Paul and his struggles, we will probably never face anything even remotely close to what he had to deal with, but satan is still battling us regardless of how big the situation.
My life goal is to draw closer to God. I'm going to do my best to achieve it, will you? It reminds me of Paul's words that are so fitting: Romans 7:18-25 (New King James Version) 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Go on to Romans 8:1,2 - There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Does that mean that we as christians can look forward to death because death to the flesh means life only in the spirit. There will be no more struggles with worldly sin, only love and worship of our Heavenly Savior. These scriptures give me so much comfort to know that as long as we are in flesh, there will be struggles and that is normal. But, on the other side, we will be free at last. Use these words in perspective to your life. Grow a spiritual life with God. Live in the Spirit! God provides that connection if we are willing to accept Him.
The bible says we must hear the word - Romans 10:17, We must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God and that he died, resurrected and is alive awaiting us to accept Him. John 3:16, 8:24, We must repent of our sins (turn away from) Acts 17:30, Confess Christ, Matthew 10:32, be baptized for the forgiveness of sin (washing away, new birth in Christ) Acts 2:38, 22:16, then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you to guide you on your journey. Be faithful - James 1:12, Revelations 2:10. Through life's struggles always keeping hope and faith in Christ. I John 2- Christ is our advocate (defense attorney) to God the Father, he loves us and died for us. He is pleading our case! Live for Him, he will never cease loving you! BE STRONG IN THE LORD!
No comments:
Post a Comment