Week 30
Colossians 2:2 “That their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself.”
Paul was always concerned for his brothers and sisters in Christ. But particularly he was concerned with their spiritual health and holy development. Paul wisely knew that the state of our souls determines our peace and joy. Being right with God results in true joy and contentment in the heart.
As we ponder these things today, we see from our text that our hearts need to be encouraged. Discouragement is a sickness of the heart. When discouragement strikes our hearts, it robs us of assurance, peace, and a calm sense that all is well. We need to be encouraged to live our lives for Christ; we need to be encouraged if we are to be God’s servants of help and hope in the lives of others.
Our text reminds us that heart encouragement includes two important components. First, there is a right relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul speaks of fellowship in the faith as being “knit together in love.” When turmoil strikes the church, it saps the group of a sense of joyful love and belonging. Being “knit together” means that we are right with each other in our relationships. If we know this to be true, we will make effort to make sure those relationships are right. There are some people with whom one cannot mend a fractured relationship, and this causes great emotional and spiritual pain. There are some people with whom only God can live. We are in these cases forced to commit them and the relationship problem to the Lord.
Second, heart encouragement comes from the assurance that results from understanding the true knowledge of the mystery of the gospel in Christ. In other words, our heart assurance comes down to our relationship with God. Are we right with God? This question raises our perception of our relationship to Jesus Christ in the gospel. Are we faithful to Christ? Do we show love for Christ? Do we worship Christ? Do we obey and follow Christ? These are questions that help us think through our vital connection to our Savior. This is not to suggest that one’s relationship with Christ is at risk of ending, but it does imply that our relationship is dynamic, resulting from our daily choices of whether or not we follow Christ.
May the Lord grant to us His mercy to make our spiritual lives the center of our life on earth. As we live in a material world, we must maintain our spiritual core. If we yield to the temptation of becoming material, then we lose many important spiritual blessings, including our heart encouragement and the assurance that comes from our spiritual walk. Let us seek to maintain, as far as it depends on us, a right relationship with Jesus and others for Jesus’ sake.
Prayer: Dear Lord, grant to me the discernment and the ability to focus on the two important aspects of my life: walking with Jesus and being good to others. Help me to do what I can to keep these two vital areas right. Please give me strength and aid in living for Christ in all of life.