When we know God, we have everything we need to live the life He meant for us. Verse 10 says, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. Since Christ has all authority, there is no need to go anywhere else find answers.
2012 Day 256 – Colossians 2
12 Wednesday Sep 2012
Posted in Daily Reading
Daily Devotion 
Verse 23: “Obeying these rules may seem to be the smart thing to do. They appear to make you love God more and to be very humble and to have control over your body. But they don’t really have any power over our desires.”
That last sentence is powerful and right on the money. When we are dealing with a brokeness, avoidance is not the answer. Pretending we can cover it with doing good is not the answer. That does not address the core issue. The core desire. In line with what you said, Dino, the only way to truly address deep issues is with Christ. And how did he address issues, pain, disease, heart issues? With questions. We have to be careful that we also don’t just say, “Oh, I’ve got this issue. Jesus will just take it away” and make that our point of avoidance. Jesus never just took things away or just healed things. He asked questions. He made people think about what was going on. He got to the “why”. Many of the leaders in the church talk about what to do and how, but so few address the “why”. That’s where Jesus lived. In the “why”. This is how healing happens. This is how he makes all things new. We open ourselves up to him and either through the working of the Holy Spirit or with the help of a professional, we ask the hard questions. We get to the core of the “why”. He is the greatest psychologist/psychiatrist. This is a real hot button issue for me right now, because I am sick and tired of visiting churches (I’m in that mode right now, since I’m not at home) where the Pastor gives you a 3 point sermon on what you should do to have a “right relationship” with Jesus. Are you kidding me?! I know they are well meaning, but it causes so much damage. Ok. So you tell me to have a quiet time and to pray. Great. But I don’t want to. I have no desire to. Instead of the Pastor addressing that feeling and getting you to ask yourself why, he just tells you to do it! It would be like if I didn’t feel like talking to my husband or doing anything with him and a counselor just told me to do it without getting me to ask why I wasn’t interested in him! It’s ludicrous! Asking why is hard. And a lot of times, it takes awhile to get to the bottom of it. Sometimes we end up in pig slop before we figure it out. But from what I gather about Jesus, he’s not into speed. He’s into restoration, at whatever pace it takes. This is spiritual work. It’s hard, but so worth it.
OK. My soapbox has been put aside.
Wow, Sarah! I think you nailed an important point here. Without actually knowing “the WHY” we choose to not do the things we know we are supposed to, it is hard to just choose to do the right thing. Too often we try to make the decision to just work harder and try harder without answering the question of why. It’s a lot like exercise; no one really wants to just work out and feel pain. They do it because of the perceived or realized benefits. Without that, working out would just be induction of pain to our bodies. The same principle goes to praying and having a quiet time. It’s not just about doing it because we are supposed to, but because we should be concerned with the WHY, which is maintaining and building our relationship with God. Great soap box!!
I get what you’re saying, Dino, but maybe I’m misunderstanding your comparison of time with Jesus to working out. Are you saying that sometimes you just have to spend time with Jesus even though you don’t want to? Because my whole point is spending time with Jesus shouldn’t be that way. I look forward to my time with him everyday. I used to not. I treated it the way I treat working out. But then I started asking why. I started asking him to change me. To help me figure out why I felt that way. And then he bulled me over with how incredibly freaking awesome he is. He came so near to my heart, and revealed such interesting aspects of himself to me that I can’t help but spend time with him. And part of that, honestly, is your blog. I look forward to it everyday. Personal heartache and his healing played another part. Stan Mitchell is always in there somehow:). And Beautiful Outlaw by Elderidge was another big factor. (If you still haven’t read it, I’m gonna kick your butt:)).
Actually, I’m saying just the opposite (sorry if that wasn’t clear…). I’m saying that forcing yourself to workout is eventually going to become a failing effort. We must have an answer to why we do it and what is the benefit until we see the desired results. Just like finding out how awesome He is in your life has now become the reason WHY you keep doing your quiet time.
And please don’t kick my butt, but I have not read beautiful outlaw yet… I will… At some point… 😉
Ah! Ok. Yes. I had totally misread your comment.
But kicking is on hold…..for now. 🙂