Colossians 1:13-14 - Willing to Suffer

Colossians 1:13-14 “For 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.”

This new week holds an often forgotten holiday, no, it isn't Halloween instead it is All Saints Day, which in the western church is celebrated on November 1st. It is a day to remember all those who have lived lives dedicated to God which includes you and I. It is a day to remember the trials that have been faced by believers throughout the ages, not just martyrs but others as well. It is a day to remember those who died for Faith and those who lived for Faith. It is a day to remember those who have been exiled and those who have imprisoned, a day to remember those who chose to become missionaries and face the unknown and those who are ridiculed at home for their convictions. We remind ourselves of the lives of peace and contentment that have been lived, helping every person that is in need. We think of people boldly preaching, knowing that they are being ignored by nearly all. We think of the hardships and the joys of all who believe, and we remind ourselves of why people are willing to go to these great lengths.

We screw up. We do. We make mistakes and we see something shiny and are distracted for a moment from the path of righteousness, which we are supposed to be walking. We find then that we are lost or trapped in something we didn't see before. We stepped off the narrow trail that we were walking as we tried to follow Christ's lead. We are not perfect. None of us are. If you were perfect you wouldn't be needing to read this and If I was perfect I probably wouldn't be writing this either. We are not perfect and we screw up and frequently. But despite our mistakes, our falling short of the mark, our sins, Jesus keeps finding us as we huddle there lost in the dark off that narrow way and with a smile and a warm hug, He leads us back to where we need to be and we continue our journey until the next time we lose focus or our attention is drawn away.

This is why people are willing to give up everything and to suffer anything! Our Lord is continually meeting us where we are and helping us get back on our feet and take another step, and another step. He does so much for us that we cannot but help love Him. Our love for Him is as compelling as His great love for us and it drives us to want to please Him more and more. The more we love Him, the more we find that we stay on that little narrow path because there are fewer and fewer things that can distract us and draw our attention of Him.

This week, lets remember all those places in our lives that Christ stepped in and found us after we had lost our way. Lets remember everything that Christ has done and why we love Him so much. Being a Believer, a Follower of Christ, is more than reciting words and songs. Its about His relationship with Us and Our relationship with Him, and how much it means to all of us.

He paid a debt He did not owe,
I owed a debt I could not pay,
I needed someone to wash my sin away
And now I sing that brand new song: Amazing Grace
For Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay
          `                                                     Ellis J. Crum, 1956.