Paul writes in Colossians 1:11, 12, “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."
I am an avid coffee drinker. I enjoy it. The taste, the smell...anytime on any day I could drink it. So in my pursuit of a better cup of coffee I purchased a French Coffee press. Now oddly enough, since making coffee with the French press I’ve begun to drink less of it! Why? Here’s my answer: It takes more time to make, but it is more satisfying than instant coffee.
Now, in the verses above, Paul is praying for his readers and he’s praying that God would strengthen them with His power for the purpose of their endurance and patience with joy. I think joy is satisfaction. If I have joy in my wife, I am satisfied with her. If I have joy in God, I am satisfied with God. Notice, though, the words I used: in and with. If my joy is in something, than I am satisfied with it. The Bible teaches that Jesus went to the cross for the joy set before Him. What does this mean? Jesus did not enjoy the torture or the pain or the mockery. What brought Jesus joy was not the cross itself, but what the cross would bring! And what would it bring? Salvation from sin and victory over death. It would wash away our sins, reconcile us to God and give us eternal life. Jesus was patient, undeterred, unswerving and unwavering on the cross with joy.
How often do we get impatient because something is taking to long. I don’t want to wait six minutes for one cup of coffee! But the reality is that instant things are simply not as good as those things that take time. Good cooking takes time. Sowing and reaping takes time. Investing and saving takes time. Raising and disciplining your children takes time. Loving and serving your spouse takes time. God’s work in your life takes time. We are too easily dis-satisfied and to quickly satisfied. No one has spent more time on your behalf than Jesus did on the cross. He was tortured for a long time. He carried his cross a long distance. He bled with patience till the last drop necessary to pay the price for our sins flowed from his body. Because of this, nothing will satisfy you more than Him. And if this is true, than everything else will satisfy you less than Him. Instant joy will produce fading satisfaction. But patient joy will produce enduring satisfaction.
The challenge for us, then, is to be patient with joy. As Paul and Jesus, our joy must be anchored to the other side of waiting. Why does a groom wait patiently for his bride? Because he knows he’s going to receive her hand to become his wife. She is his joy! As Christians we wait patiently in this life and through our difficulties, not because we might receive something in this life to make it all worth it, but because we believe we will receive an inheritance that is heavenly and it will so satisfy us that when we look back, if we ever do, we will realize that nothing in this life could ever have satisfied like this has!
What is the inheritance? As the Psalmist says, “All my springs are in YOU God.” (Psalm 87:7, emphasis added)
No comments:
Post a Comment