Colossians 1: 26-29 Tina

Dear God open up your word to me today; send your Spirit to minister to me. I feel my physical body is standing in the way of my spirit and heart. I need your divine intervention. Amen

1:26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to his own holy people.

The secret was kept from man and angels and demons. God secret agent! Again I am reminded that he is author of life, he doesn’t need to give up any secrets or plot details until he is ready. Some translations use the word mystery instead of secret and I looked it up to see what if anything it would inspire.

 μυστήριον  greek for mystery : hidden thing, secret, mystery

1. generally mysteries, religious secrets, confided only to the initiated and not to ordinary mortals
2. a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding
3. a hidden purpose or counsel
1. secret will 1c
4. of men 1c
5. of God: the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly.

I like the last one and think it defines the verse. We know that God’s plan was written out in the Old Testament, people read it and misunderstood the messages God was sending. The message was hidden from the Jews. Only now when we have the benefit of the New Testament and the image of Jesus that we can look back and see that the messages were there all along, Jesus revealed the message to all people.

1:27 For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory.

Christ in you, the hope of glory: This is the Christian's hope of glory. It isn't our own hard work or devotion to God, or the power of our own spirituality. Instead, it is the abiding presence of Jesus: Christ in you. Once we were separated from God through our own sin, Jesus paid for the sin; we are reconciled to Christ and best of all God lives inside of us. I love the picture of Christ inside me, if you believe this one truth then you can’t doubt your faith because Christ is always with you. I use to share this truth a lot with kids that I ministered with, they believed if they did something wrong or made bad choices, thought bad thoughts that Jesus would leave them. I would explain to them that when we accept Christ and ask him into our hearts that once inside our hearts just lock and Jesus never leaves us. He doesn’t like us to sin but he always loves us and takes care of our heart. To the mind of a 3 and 4 year old they understood this.

1:28 So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God perfect in their relationship to Christ.

Paul preaches, he does not preach his views or ideas he preaches about Christ. He instructs and teaches about God, through God. Paul’s desire is to mature Christians who are able to stand on their own as believers; he did not want them to lean on him for spiritual strengthening. He wants them to lean on Christ. He wants us to know Christ, understand Christ, Love Christ, and Live for Christ, and have an intimate perfect relationship with Christ.

1:29 I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ’s might power that works within me.

Paul's work was empowered by God's mighty strength. But God's strength in his life didn't mean that Paul did nothing. He worked hard and depended entirely on God for the strength needed to continue. This is something I fear some church leaders and ministers do not do. They acquire their own agenda, use their own will and strength to get moving and then lead others. It is a sad fact of human life, then everyone is following a man’s idea or a man’s vision of where the church should be instead of working hard for Christ doing Christ like things. There is a difference. We are so prideful and want to do everything on our own. We keep striving and pushing and conniving to get what we want. Paul ultimately depended on God for everything from food, shelter, life and strength, lives like his are portraits of faith in action.

I am finding it funny how when I read back over this the subject of strength and wisdom comes up over which we are both needing right now. I feel a little like the folks in the last verse. I keep striving, pushing, straining just to keep up the "normal" aspects of our home. I am struggling with what needs to be done (chores, working at school, cooking, mothering) and whether or not I really can do it. I try not to complain, not to ask for help. I don't want to be the mother who was always hurting, always popping pills or laying down so I keep pushing and staying silent about it. I am not sure if that is a good thing or just a stupid thing.

The problem, unstated till now, is how to live in a damaged body in a world where pain is meant to be gagged. - Adrienne Rich