As we read in Colossians 1:24-29, we see the apostle Paul was devoted to Jesus Christ at any cost and determined to fulfill the call of God upon his life. He was driven by the desire to proclaim the gospel to the lost and see people turned into disciples of Jesus Christ. You can almost feel the passion of Paul jumping out of the pages of Scripture.
We should aspire to this same attitude in our personal lives and as a church family. Paul would say it in another place this way: “For to me to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21). The life of the believer is intended to be a life that is simply lived for Christ and His glory. To live for Jesus at times will involve various types of sufferings, afflictions and persecutions (2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 4:1-4; Matthew 5:10-12). But God promises His grace for us in those times of need (2 Corinthians 12:9,10). In fact, it is His mighty grace which enables us to follow Him and serve Him in the capacity that we do (1 Corinthians 15:10).
The gospel of Jesus Christ is so powerful that what He has done for us and what He has promised us fills us with a joy that outweighs the pain and suffering (Romans 8:18). So once again we are confronted with a very important word, and that word is “perspective”. As we see in Ecclesiastes, the person who only lives life for this world or the pleasures of things under the sun is living a life of vanity. On the other hand, the person who has come to experience the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, sees the real meaning of life as something that is far beyond this life (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
May the holy and heavenly passion of the Holy Spirit stir our hearts afresh to be devoted, determined, and driven followers of Jesus Christ. Blessed be His Name!
