Colossians 1:11-14
11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Carrying further the thought from yesterday’s passage, Paul shares a few other reasons for praying for the knowledge of God’s will (and by that a knowledge and understanding of the heart of God in all matters). In v. 11: to give them strength to endure, for patience, and for thanksgiving. Wow, could we all use more of those things in our live!
How do we endure the hardships of life? It really comes by getting to understand God more and more. Here’s the thing: we may not understand our situation or even the outcome, but if we get to know God “through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (v. 9), we will begin to “see” an invisible dimension or quality to our situations that are in the hands of an Almighty God. The more we understand the heart of God, the easier it will be to endure harships. He is a good God, and He has our best in my mind. That is His will for us.
The same is true of patience. (Could write a chapter on patience alone!) Why do we get so impatient? Outside of the fact that we may want something right away, sometimes we need patience when the road is long. Endurance and patience go hand in hand in these cases. I wonder if Paul is preparing the readers for a long journey ahead? Think about life’s difficult situations. They begin with a need for patience – the little annoyances, the inconveniences, the frustration of waiting, waiting, waiting… As time goes on, the need for endurance or perseverance becomes inceasingly obvious. Getting angry doesn’t help. Worrying doesn’t help. Ah, but dwelling on the wisdom and the heart of God does. Maybe that’s why Paul prays for this because he knows that’s where the strength comes from.
You know what happens when we turn our hearts toward knowing the God of all understanding and wisdom? Our patience and endurance turn to joyful thanksgiving (v. 12). Why? Because understanding God’s will for us means having a deep understanding of God’s redemption from something far worse than our present situations. His will is filled with a love and desire for us that goes beyond the present. Indeed, He has “rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Understanding the will of God means understanding His eternal will for our lives. There is so much more to this life. So much more.
Pray that you will gain a greater understanding of God’s eternal will for your life. My prayer for you is that you will be strengthened with endurance, patience, and thankfulness.
