"…that their hearts my be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:2-3
What a profound verse! We are told we may gain the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, and a true knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge! This verse should motivate all of us to seek after the wealth of this eternal truth, rather than the vain wealth of the world that is fleeting. I greatly desire to understand and gain the wisdom and knowledge of God. I hope you do too. Perhaps you haven’t paused long enough to consider the deeper things of life. I encourage you to do so before it is too late for you and yours.
Paul is greatly concerned over the church at Laodicea due to the spreading of false teachings. He tells them in previous verses Christ in them is their hope of glory, and that is true for us also. God’s mysteries are revealed through the indwelling of Christ in each one of us. He is the one who reveals God to man, and in Him we find everything we need to become rooted in Him and established in our faith.
God sent His Son to earth to reveal who He is to man, and how much He loves us. Jesus came as the Father’s ambassador. If you know Jesus, you will know the Father. What wisdom or knowledge can supersede that knowledge? Acquiring the wisdom and knowledge of the Bible determines eternity for us and our children. Remember, the only thing you can take with you is your children and grandchildren when your time is up on this earth. Oh that we would invest our time and effort into their eternal lives as we do for the things that matter so little such as our over emphasis on sports. I encourage you to stop long enough to evaluate the time invested there, versus what you are doing to prepare them for eternity. Please wake up! We have them for such a short time before they leave to try to create a life of their own in this world. Playing some kind of ball doesn’t really prepare them for their most important decisions in life, such as where they will spend eternity, how to choose a mate and have a successful family.
Sports can be a real asset if you have kept your priorities right in your family. Learning to come under authority and learning the true meaning of sportsmanship are valid lessons to learn. Being taught you aren’t the star and playing as a team is a valuable lesson. But in most cases today the character of the man isn’t emphasised; it is winning at all cost. Unfortunately those values will follow our youngsters into the corporate world, adding narcissism into every area of life. The star players are convinced it’s all about them. Look at most of our professional athletes! Is that really who we want to offer our children as role models? I realize most parents love their children and have sincere, good intentions, but it doesn’t change reality.
Our verse began with Paul desiring that their hearts would be encouraged, having been knitted together in love. The kind of love the Bible speaks of will hold a family and a society together. It is from the God who created man. Shouldn’t we be spending more time training our children in the wisdom and knowledge of the Bible? Man has no knowledge of true love apart from the God who is love.
Do you know this love? You can if you simply pray to God, the Father, and ask Him for a knowledge and understanding of who He is. If you are sincere, and want to know the truth with all your heart He will answer. Is this not what we want our children to know? What parent does not want their child to have the hidden knowledge of God’s mysteries? It is found in His Son, all the treasures of true wisdom and knowledge. Let us go deeper with our children than the superficial, temporal things of this life. Let us throw them an anchor of hope from the Word of God that will hold them in the storms of life to come. God’s Word is full of the hidden mysteries of life He is only able to reveal to His own. If you aren’t His, become His, and lead your family to Him, in whom all the fullness of life dwells. He is our all in all. His love is too wonderful for words. You must experience it for yourselves.
When you do, you want to share it. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak. If your heart is full of Him you cannot hold it inside. You long for everyone to have what you have found. This is true in my life, and I pray it will become true in yours and our families.
I encourage you to take the time to read Colossians 2. There is much more to be gleaned from this chapter. It will be time well spent for you and your family. I will close with verses I read to my children often, and was always a reminder for me from God’s Word as a mother for what I was to do.. It helped me to stay focused on what really matters:
"Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all our heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and daughters, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way and when you bed down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-8
If we obey these verses we are to constantly be teaching our children the ways of God – not our own ways. His ways are much higher than our ways. His are heavenly; ours are earthly.
(Isaiah 55:8-9)
We cannot improve or re-invent the truth that has stood before time itself. What idols have we allowed in our homes to take the place of teaching our children the love of God and His ways? Let us make the changes necessary in our lives to live with understanding according to His ways.
In His love.
" A FOOL DOES NOT DELIGHT IN UNDERSTANDING, BUT ONLY IN REVEALING HIS OWN MIND."
PROVERBS 18:2
Teresa Roberts
Masterpiece Fitness
276-237-6680
A lovely exhibit of tiger lillies in full bloom! I love summer in the mountains!
