CHRIST IN US THE HOPE OF GLORY

My thoughts for 2012 have come from reading the apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae. Read the following passage:



26 “…The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.


28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:26-28)


Rarely do we think of “the glorious riches of the mystery of Christ” as being experienced in the particulars of “Christ in you, the hope of Glory.” I can see the apostle Paul writing to remind the Christians there in the church at Colossae that Christ lives in each of them, and as such, they are the richest people on the face of the earth.


The mystery that was hidden for ages and generations has now been disclosed to God’s people. How gloriously rich we are to have Christ living in each of us, and living among all of us! How gloriously rich we are to have such a hope of glory! How gloriously rich we are to have access to the kind of godly wisdom that will make us mature in Christ!


Our commitments and goals for 2012 come from this center of reality: Christ in us, the hope of glory. It is the presence and power of Christ that enables us to accomplish those things. The hope of glory articulates our future vision. It is what motivates us to never give up on what we feel God is calling us to.


I marvel at the implications of Christ being in us. He is the ground of our hope of glory. He is the only one that can impart the kind of wisdom that will produce spiritual maturity. May we all claim the glorious riches of the mystery of Christ!


In Christian love, Curtis

CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF SUFFERING?

Suffering is quite painful and appears to be non-productive. We live in a culture where suffering is to be alleviated at all costs. Because it appears to be non-productive, untold millions is spent on trying to alleviate what seems to be senseless. And we are not just talking about physical suffering, there is also emotional and mental anguish than can almost trump anything physical. What does the Christian make of this?

The apostle Paul gives us another perspective on suffering that is not defined by a negative reaction because pain is ONLY perceived in a negative way. Paul answers very plainly the question, “Can anything good come out of suffering?”

Before we hear Paul’s answer, we have to ask ourselves, “Are we ready to hear his answer?” Sometimes, being in the middle of pain and suffering, we cannot see or hear Paul’s prescription. Perhaps his answer is more of journey, a journey that stretches out over time in which we are slowly prepared to see and accept the answer. Listen to his perspective:

“Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:3-5).

Notice that Paul goes a step further than what we are often prepared to do. He says “rejoice”!? I think it would have been much easier for us to swallow if he had said, “tolerate.” But rejoice?! Yes, because we are aware of a divine, transformative process that comes about that ONLY suffering can produce: a formation of character that hangs on to hope because it is rooted in the gift of the Holy Spirit whom God has given us. It almost sounds like Paul is saying that suffering makes us aware of and rely on the gift of the Spirit whom God has poured out into hearts which is the medium and measure of His love.

Maybe, then, suffering is the process by which I am made aware of that which is more important than the pressing pain of the moment. It is often ONLY through pain and suffering that I am ready for God to do His greatest work in me and through me. Therefore, “we rejoice in our sufferings.”

In Christian love, Curtis