Passage of the Day:
Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me, Colossians 1:24-29.
Reflection:
As the apostle Paul writes the Church at Colosse about his spiritual battles and labor of love for the Lord, I am reminded of the parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. Whenever you are working, and you don’t see any initial results of the fruit of your labor, it’s easy to lose hope. You may even reach a point when you verbalize to a friend, “is this really worth it?” Yet, God calls Christians to be faithful to your calling and God’s will, Romans 12:1-2. This is the perseverance that enables servants of Jesus to press on, using their God given gifts. This is the hope of glory.
Prayerful Action:
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ – Matthew 25:19-21
Clinging to a Glimmer of Hope this Fall:
I spent my first two years living in South Carolina questioning what I was doing and where I was going. From a professional standpoint, I was going backwards, stepping down from a leadership position to allow my wife to be near her dying mother. Despite having a decade of experience, I felt like my talents were being wasted. Yet, I stuck around, dug deep spiritually and poured my heart into helping others. Although I haven’t experienced the hope of glory like the faithful servants in the Parable of the Talents, my labor of love is impacting co-workers and slowly making a difference. Like the apostle Paul, I press to fulfill God’s calling in my life, Philippians 3:14.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
The lyrics to This Side of Heaven talk about how easy it is to lose our way spiritually. May today’s devotion inspire you to stay on track by pressing on to fulfill God’s calling for your life.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 