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| We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints—the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. |
| —Colossians 1:3-6 |
When you go to your mailbox to retrieve your daily mail, do you stand right there and look through the mail to see what you’ve received? I do. I can’t wait to see what “treasures” await me in the daily mail.
Sometimes, an interesting catalog of electronic gadgets has arrived. Sometimes, I receive a magazine that I particularly enjoy reading. Sometimes, I spot a bill to pay. While I can’t say that bills bring any joy, at least I know that by promptly paying the bill I will avoid any late charges.
Sometimes, among all the other mail, I will see a personally addressed letter. I always quickly look at the return address to see who’s written the letter to me. If the return address does not disclose the name of the sender, then I immediately open the envelope to discover who has taken the time to write to me and to read what that one has to communicate.
Getting mail can become the highlight of one’s day. At least in the world of those of us who have stepped back a bit from the daily grind, receiving mail becomes a lifeline to the world.
Imagine the thrill that the Christians at Colosse must have felt when they received a letter from the Apostle Paul. His reputation had certainly preceded him. His work on behalf of the Kingdom of God had become well known. People held a particular fascination with Paul because many of them had heard the terrifying stories of his earlier days—when he was known as “Saul of Tarsus”—and had gone about persecuting believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But then, they had heard about a miraculous encounter Saul had on the road to Damascus that changed him completely. From that time forward, with a new name and a new attitude, Paul became an amazing servant of the very One he had previously hated.
So, here comes a letter from Paul. And, what does he write to the Christians at Colosse? Well, you can read those opening words in the Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post. Please take note that Paul commends the Colossian Christians for:
“…your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints…”
Imagine such a commendation! I don’t know about you, but when I read those words I am prompted to examine my own heart to determine if Paul could write those words to me. Would Paul commend me for my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and for the love I have for all the saints—that is, my fellow believers?
That first part? Well, I certainly have walked with Jesus for a long, long time. And, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I have put all my faith in the power of Jesus’ resurrection. But, that second part? I guess, with more than a little embarrassment, I have to confess that I sometimes find it very hard to love all the saints.
I have trouble loving the saints who have taken direct action to harm me. I have trouble loving the saints who have spoken lies about me, or have treated me in an unkind way. I have trouble loving the saints who have taken a profoundly different view of Scripture, or theology, or salvation, or sin, or repentance, or virtually anything else that I consider so very important. I have a hard time loving the saints who judge me without even really getting to know me. And, on and on… I am embarrassed and ashamed of my inability to lay aside the hurt that I so often feel and turn my wounded heart toward love. I know this is not what God expects of me.
I am also very ashamed that I am way too critical of my fellow believers. In fact, increasingly as I get older, I find myself loving my brothers and sisters in Christ less and less. I am reminded of a silly little poem that a dear saint of God shared with me many years ago.
To live above
With saints we love,
That will be glory!
To live below
With saints we know,
Well, that’s another story!
So, as I read Paul’s opening remarks to the Christians at Colosse, I am convicted by the Holy Spirit of my own lack of love for all the saints. May the God of Mercy and Grace continually remind me that, even though I am myself completely unlovable, He has chosen to love me and send His Precious Son to die for me and to forgive my sins. How can I fail to respond to God’ great love for me? How can I not lay aside the hurts that I feel so deeply and open my heart in order to love all of my fellow believers?
What about you? If you do a personal check-up and seek to apply Paul’s words to yourself, what results does your self-assessment show?
