Cinnamon Raisin Toast & Colossians 1
15.8.15I'm starting to get real fond of Saturday mornings as of late.
Today I enjoyed a nice b-fast consisting of cinnamon raison toast wiff peaunut buttah, chopped strawburburries, & bananas accompanied a mediocre dirty chai that I tried to make sans an espresso machine. All of this was savored in tandem with some q time with the Word and mi journal. So if you're interested in some ramblings on Colossians 1, read on!
{ Colossians 1 }
This message is from Paul & Timothy to the people of Colossae, who are super kewl because Paul and Timothy specifically thank God for their extreme faith in Christ and love they show for His people. The first half of this chapter essentially serves as a shout out as well as a reminder to the Colossians to keep on keepin' on, while the second half goes on to paint of picture of Jesus and his purpose:
"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17)
I like this verse because it touches upon the whole concept of "before-ness" - how God was before everything - and also how Jesus is the glue that holds everything together. He's the force behind gravity that binds our universe and everything in it. Without Him, everything would fall apart. He's what makes life prosper, time continue, and the world go 'round. Cool.
"And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." (Colossians 1:18)
There's that whole "before" thing again. Hm.
"But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation - " (Colossians 1:22)
There you have it, folks; the entire gospel wrapped up in two dozen words.
"... If you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel..." (Colossians 1:23)
Annnd there's that big "if." You knew it was coming.
Alright, so the wonderful and awesome Christ Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. **Totally just quoted the Apostle's Creed #yolo
Jesus was a physican MANifestation of God and lived his life preachin' the Gospel. He listened to the smallest voices, recognized the tiniest characters, spent q time with the socially unaccepted, and gave them all hope. True, unyielding, and insurmountable hope. The people's lives of whom he touched became brighter, fuller, and happier. No longer were they weighed down by the burden of their sin as their focus was now shifted to the freedom found in the grace of God.
A problem that I face in my own journey of faith is that lack of focus. We often get preoccupied with being better Christ followers (*and making others be better christ followers*) that we forget the whole message of the gospel in the first place. Instead of setting our hearts on loving God and loving his people, we start to nitpick. We focus on those "blemishes," burdened with "accusations." If something (or someone) doesn't align with our beliefs and our values, we build up a big, concrete wall with a huge red "x" on it. We cut out others - who are just as much a son or daughter of God as we are - in the attempt to lead a Christ like life. By doing so, we are diminishing our hope held out in the gospel; we are denying a part of God's creation in order to protect our own personal standing in His eyes. Kind of selfish, don't you think?
Anywho, those are just a few of the thoughts I had this morning while dissecting this passage. I guess since this is a religiously affiliated post, I need to follow up with a disclaimer that I'm so not here to fault or judge anyone. Totally not on my agenda, ever. We are all on different journeys, hold different beliefs, and lead different lives. It's never my intention to deny anyone of what they believe in because, frankly, it's not my place. I just like learning more about Jesus. The purpose of posts like this is regardless of whether or not anyone reads it. It's just my way of growing in my faith and having something to personally reflect on later in life.
People are cool; they're unique and each one has something special to bring to the table. I, personally, have a hard time faulting anyone for that.
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