This changes everything. I have been stopped in my tracks and shaken by how wrong I have been; way wrong maybe polar opposite wrong. The only “change” is my perspective, my knowledge and my understanding. How did I get here?
Have you ever heard that the teacher learns more than the student? I took a challenge from a man I have never met but feel I know through his blog. Bill at Cycleguy’s Spin presented a challenge for his readers. How would we present these verses Colossians 1:15-20?
I took the challenge and began reading Colossians 1 and my eyes were opened, my heart renewed, and my awareness of my self centeredness was revealed. I will try to explain how God used my brother Bill to change my perspective and my life with helping me see how I should be careful of leaning on my own understanding. Don’t take me wrong, I have read these verses before and even captured affirmations from this chapter and have heard these statements for years. But when I dug a little deeper to see how I would teach it a new and fresh understanding of how I approach Jesus was magnified before me.
For many of you, this may be shocking that I was missing this. You got it long ago and I think I know it but realized in my practices and how I approached God and how I viewed Jesus were all wrong. Some how some way I had begun to think Jesus was sent to earth to save me. As if Jesus was created to save me and the world from our sinful ways. I thought it was about me. How nice of God to see the errors of our ways and send little baby Jesus to earth to live, to die and to rise again for me.
I know HE DID DO ALL THESE THINGS BUT my perspective was all wrong. I would pray to this invisible God and thank Him for sending His Son for me. In reality Colossians 1:15 has been clear all along: He (JESUS, clarification added by me) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (NKJ) HE WAS FIRST. Furthermore in Colossians 1:16 we are told For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (NKJ)
We have heard that right? In the beginning was the WORD and He was with God. ALL THINGS WERE CREATED THROUGH HIM AND FOR HIM. Jesus didn’t just come on the scene as a little baby to come to earth to show us the way. He did come to save us all and to be the final blood sacrifice but He is so much more than that.He created us for Him.
IT IS NOT ABOUT ME; IT IS ABOUT HIM. He created us for himself. We were created in His image and we were to be like him. Somehow we began to think it was about us and He was created for us to get to God. He is First we are not. I have said I knew this but in reality I have not been praying like I really know. As I approach God the Father and Jesus the Son in my prayers now I am not asking Jesus to go to the Father for me, I am asking that he increase my knowledge of Him and help me to be like Him.
I do not have the mental capacity to understand God but I can pray to God to increase my knowledge of Him. This process does not just happen, we have to continue to seek Him. Almost every day I picture Jesus going off to pray to His Father when He was here on earth. I am always struck by the fact that they are one yet He made a practice of going to pray and to be alone with the Father. Was it just to make sure no misunderstanding was sneaking in? Was it to be 100% focused on what God wanted done that very day? Was it to keep their hearts the visible and invisible as one? I don’t know but I will continue to seek and pray to the LORD that he will increase my knowledge. Today’s affirmation came from Colossians 1:10 and I will echo Paul’s prayer here that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; (NKJ) So the affirmation for today and everyday is: LORD increase our knowledge of You.
So are you willing to take Bill’s challenge? What would you try to tell others about Colossians 1:15-20?
Tom Raines
Christian Affirmations 4 Life
Tom,
Isn’t it always refreshing when The Word jumps out at you and shows you something new about it? I declare, I could read The Scriptures a million times over, and still find something new each time. Each. Time.
Donald
Totally agree Donald!! Refreshing and just full of treasure. I just know when I have the courage to write my love letter to God like you had the courage to do I will be refreshed anew. The Living Word is amazing!
Thanks for the shout out that I don’t deserve Tom. I am so glad that God showed you some new stuff from His Word. Now you have taught the teacher. 🙂 Thanks.
You do deserve it Bill, you work really hard to be faithful. Even though you are spread thin you first and foremost make sure you are available to spread the seeds of the Kingdom. Thank you for challenging your students so we may come to know THE Almighty Teacher who made us for himself. I am praying for you and your flock this weekend!!