What Exhausts You?
Maybe I need to front-load this blog. This might not be your favorite. I doubt this one gets the most likes. Yet if we’re maturing in our faith, I think we have to ask the hard questions. Don’t believe the lie that the hard questions are for the purpose of beating ourselves up. That doesn’t glorify God, either. The hard questions are also not for the purpose of adding something to our already unrealistic to-do list. Hard questions help us determine what really matters in life. So… shall we?I’m tired. Unfortunately, that’s not an uncommon experience. Can you relate? The problem is that, as I type, I’m sitting in Florida. You’re not supposed to be tired on vacation, right? Well, this “vacation” is chaperoning six delightful 17-year-old boys. Boys stay up too late and boys’ moms get up too early. Thus, I’m a little tired on my “vacation.” As I look at Colossians, however, I shake off my grogginess and realize that Paul’s letter to the believers in Colossians is speaking directly to me…[bctt tweet="Hard questions help us determine what really matters in life."]In Colossians 1:24-29, Paul talks about his calling “to make the word of God fully known” (verse 25). Seems like something someone in the ministry would say, right? And while the Lord calls some to make ministry their full-time vocation, we’re all called to make the Word of God fully known. Paul then puts the job description in black and white. He’s been busy doing three things:
ProclaimingWarningTeaching
I encourage you to check out the verses yourself. Paul leaves a few descriptions. He’s warning and teaching everyone… and he’s doing it with wisdom. Then he adds the real kicker. The reason he spends his time and energy proclaiming, warning, and teaching is so “that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (verse 28).Let’s be honest: Most of us aren’t proclaiming, warning, or teaching everyone in order for the Word of God to be fully known. Most of us aren’t proclaiming, warning, or teaching anyone. Yet we have every intention of being a “good” Christian. Our problem isn’t a lack of good intentions. Generally, our problem is that we’re so busy doing our thing that we’re not doing the thing we were created to do: to make the Word of God fully known.So, where does this leave us?I want to challenge us on two fronts. First, if the idea of reaching everyone seems so big that it makes you not even want to try, then think about someone. Who is that someone in your life who needs to be warned and taught with wisdom? There are fewer in our culture than ever before who will gently slide past the P.C. police and speak the love of Christ to others. There’s definitely a someone in your house, your neighborhood, or your circle of influence who needs you to make the Word of God fully known.And then the great news… Paul says in Colossians 1:29, “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” Yes, you will be called to toil. As a woman on mission, you’ll be exhausted… BUT Christ will fill you with the energy you need when you’re on His mission.The way I look at it? Something will make me tired each day. The question is: What has made me tired. When I lay my head down each night, I want to have toiled for the right things![bctt tweet="Something will make you tired each day. The question is: What has made you tired?"]