Broken and Boiling Over

Last week or so, I began to study the book of Colossians. I've read through it all at once and in chunks at a time, but I wanted to really grab hold of it, to really taste and digest it. So I grabbed my fairly unused copy of Search the Scriptures and began again. I started yesterday and I have to say that I was not prepared for the amazingly satisfying and disturbing effect these holy meals would have on me.

Yesterday's Scriptures were Colossians 1:1-14, and the book asked a couple of questions, but there was one question in particular that didn't strike me as much at first, but as I began journaling and processing my answer, I was ushered into the Presence of God and my heart was simultaneously broken and boiling over. The question was this:

"What result did the Gospel produce in the experience of the Colossians who heard it?
Short answer: Faith and love for all the saints.

Then the book asked:
Have you made as much progress as they had?
My automatic response: I'm sure I could be doing more.
That covers that, right?

Well, I sat over the Scripture and the question a while longer, and the word "all" stuck out to me like a sore thumb in "the love which you have for all the saints." (v.4) All the saints...hmm? At that moment I was drenched in a wave of Truth and conviction. The Lord sort of opened my eyes to my own life and allowed me to see, at least in part, what was lacking.

If someone was going to capture my life in a picture, containing all the people that I continually interact with, my closest friendships, my acquaintances, the people I am drawn to and initiate conversation with, the people that I serve and serve with...would this photograph resemble the Kingdom of God? Would it show God's creativity and the diversity of His people? Would the poor in spirit be represented? Would the "outsiders" that Jesus so often spent time with have their place in my photograph? The truth is that my picture is lacking, incomplete.

But here, in this sort of sad, heart-breaking realization, I found my heart boiling over with hope and thanksgiving. It is an encouraging thing when the Lord reveals sin...it means that by His grace and mercy, He wants to go to work in you! He is not done! There is more! I believe in the promise that He wants to make my picture...perfect.

"For I am confident of this very thing,
that He who began a good work in you
will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 1:6

Thanks for letting me share. Quite honestly, I was working (with a ridiculous amount of excitement) on a blog about my trip to Round Top. But after reading today, I just couldn't talk about antiques when the Word of God had so satisfied my soul. Don't get me wrong, the Round Top blog is still coming, just not today. :)
God Bless!