What Keeps You Afloat When The Storms Hit?
September 25, 2020
Commentary
“Paul, an apostle by the will of God” (v. 1) writes this letter when he is near the end of his service for Christ. Almost 30 years have passed since his conversion. Of his sixty odd years, less than half of them have been spent as a Christian. This is one of the prison letters of the apostle, It was written to “the saints and faithful brethren” in a church located in Colossae (v. 2) which is now called Turkey, in the Roman province of Asia Minor, about 100 miles south and east of Ephesus. It is primarily a letter of hope: the hope that comes by means of the gospel: in contrast to the hopelessness of the world in his day. The Colossians had been hopeless but they had found hope. And with it they found two other enormously valuable commodities, called faith and love (vv. 3-4). Faith and love spring forth from the hope that every believer has in Christ. It is a hope that is founded upon the promises of Christ as the living Word found in God’s written Word (v. 5). It is also a hope that is continually lived and proclaimed bearing fruit throughout the world (v. 6). Hope keeps us afloat when the storms hit. The boat will not sink because Jesus is in the boat with us. Perhaps, the most neglected truth among Christians is to look for human help, forgetting that God’s help is instantly available to me. It seems that we do not want invisible help and even become angry and resentful if human help is not available. However I believe God will sometimes deliberately deny us human help in order that we may learn how much greater is the help waiting for us from His invisible kingdom.
Application
I need to discipline myself to be a fruit bearing Christian? It is so easy to keep busy doing good things and do nothing that will count for eternity.
Colossians 1:1– 8 (NET)
1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 to the saints, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you from God our Father!
3 We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints. 5 Your faith and love have arisen from the hope laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growing among you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. 7 You learned the gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave —a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf— 8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
Illustration: Alexander the Great in his conquest of Asia
As Alexander the Great was setting out on his conquest of Asia, he inquired into the finances of his followers. To ensure that they would not be troubled over the welfare of their dependents during their absence, he distributed crown estates and revenues among them. When he had thus disposed of nearly all the royal resources, his friend General Perdiccas asked Alexander what he had reserved for himself. “Hope,” answered the king. “In that case,” said Perdiccas, “we who share in your labors will also take part in your hopes.” He then refused the estate allotted to him, and several other of the king’s friends did the same. (Daily Walk, May 25, 1992).