So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
-Colossians 2:7
Can I just honestly say that Colossians is rocking my world lately? I'm really not sure why - I think I've probably read it at least a dozen times before. But all of the sudden I am seeing gems of doctrinal truth that I have never noticed before. It blows my mind that as I become rooted in Jesus and as I continually abide in him, that he is growing me. All stuff I've heard before, but it is as if something clicked and I am really internalizing it.
Chapter three is seriously changing my life with Jesus. Realizing that my life is nothing because it is hidden in Christ - that He is my life - whoa. Or getting rid myself of anger, malice, envy, filthy language from my lips and putting on Christ. Praying in the morning that He would clothe me with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Realizing the freedom that comes from a heart that is full of the peace of Christ and the joy of gratitude.
Dear friend, we are free! Christ has risen from the dead and given us this wonderful, glorious joy that we are no longer entangled by sins or hang ups or failures or anything that you'd like to call it. No longer do we have to be enslaved by the patterns in which we were raised or the stigmas that society has placed upon us. We get to be free.
And even more than that, we are called children of God! That we are NOW children of God, not that it is a future glorification but that we have been adopted now and are being transformed. A few weeks ago I was preparing for a seminar called Leading Children to Christ. That has also been a controversial topic in my own heart, and I was anxious to learn, especially developmentally, how to create healthy disciples in young children who may lack the abstract thinking skills that Christianity defaults to. As I was writing out my testimony in 10 year old language, it dawned on me that God loves me. Not in a "oh, God loves everyone because He made everyone" way, but in a deep and personal way. God loves me for me. He loves my personality because He created it. He loves each of my crazy quirks, and I make Him laugh with delight. And so as this transformation process occurs, He's not trying to throw out all of the fun parts about me and make me only holy, He is correcting the parts of me that were corrupted by the fall. As He makes me more like His Son, He isn't changing me to be a carbon copy in every way, He is making me the person I was intended to be. He doesn't want a church of exactly the same people, He wants all types of people: the wild, the passionate, the strong, the weak, the timid, everyone. So His transformation is the best thing that I could ask for. He is helping me to get rid of the anger and bitterness that have overgrown like weeds in my personality. He is helping me to cultivate patience and love and gentleness. That is what it means for Christ to finish His work in me - that I would be fully me as it pleases my Creator. I would be holy, loving, righteous, sanctified, and me. What freedom and joy and peace that brings me!
I think the American church has for so long sold only two identities: Man and Woman. The Man must be strong, a good leader, stable, vocal, and oh so wise. The Woman should be quiet, a good helper, graceful, polite, and good with children. Those qualities aren't bad in of themselves. But trying to cram a variety of personalities into one of two molds is bad. Being who we were created to be is better.
Over this semester, I have learned so much about God, and I have fallen even more deeply in love with Him. I have learned to trust Him so much more, to be more patient and what for His provision and time with a little less anxiety. I have learned that He is a good God, that He is unfailing in His faithfulness, that I love Him so deeply because of who He is, but also because of His great, lavish love for me. I don't know why He loves me. I honestly don't. But I am perfectly and overwhelmingly content and joyful to live in that love.
He is such a wonderful Savior. He is a glorious Savior.
