Transformation - Day 2

"We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News." - Colossians 1:3-5

I don't know why Paul gets under some people's skin - his "ego" or personality just rub some folk wrong. But I read a passage like the above and see someone deeply connected to, praying for, and encouraging others. Most scholars believe that Epaphras, not Paul, started the church in Colosse, but you would never know it from the warmth and pastoral quality of this letter.

I also love the word "we" here. I don't want us to overlook that in the early church, leadership was not a solo act but a shared calling. I wonder if the struggles we face in the modern church from burnout to sexual misconduct can be traced back to mission and ministry leadership not being shared. The longevity of Billy Graham's ministry and his pact with fellow team members speaks to this.

I am also humbled by Paul's acknowledgment that "we always pray for you." I don't think this was hyperbole. Paul and Timothy prayed - a lot. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 wrote "pray without ceasing" and backed it up by saying this is God's will.

I need to do a better job of praying for you. I can get so busy with life and ministry that I neglect the most essential activity - prayer. My best friend from seminary committed to praying Ephesians 3:14-19 everyday for the people in his church. It's a rich beautiful prayer and I feel the tug to pray it for you as well. Are there other ways I can pray for you - especially when it comes to spiritual transformation? - the heart of these blogs for the next 21 days. Comment below or send me a personal note.

Finally, look at what Paul commends these Colossian followers for: 1) faith in Christ 2) love for God's people and 3) hope for eternity. Sometimes we make things so complicated with ministry plans and smart goals. What if we could simply be a church that trusted Christ and loved everybody (not easy), motivated by a hope for a better reward? (These three remain - faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love - where have I heard that before?) And don't gloss over the motivation - eternity with Christ in heaven. I've heard people say that you can be so heavenly-minded that you are no earthly good. I've said it. But here Paul makes it clear that a strong hope for heaven motivates our faith in Christ and our love for others. Eternity fuels us. After all, how can we love if God doesn't first love us, fueling our love with the free gift of eternal life?

Love hard.  Pray hard.  We have hope for a better future. Life is short. make it count. Be transformed. Show someone God's love today. Let us pray . . .