Colossians 2:1-2 – “I want you to know how great a struggle I have in your behalf…that your hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and that you would attain to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding…”
I am coming off a week where my son had his mid-term tests. My wife and I can somewhat relate to the Apostle Paul’s sentiment here of struggling on behalf of the people he loved. I think Paul is speaking to interceding for them in prayer, desiring specific outcomes for the churches of Laodicea and Colossae. Courtney and I both had our share of struggling on behalf of Ben. We wanted him to be encouraged while attaining understanding that would lead to the assurance of good test scores. Part of the struggle was just keeping him focused with good study practices to attain the knowledge he needed to feel successful.
In the same way, there is great wealth available to all Christians coming into full assurance of understanding God and His will. For our hearts to continually be encouraged, and knit together in love, we must grow in our understanding and conviction of who God is along with His promises. One of the marks of the Holy Spirit coming into someone’s life is a desire to grow in knowledge. One of the marks of someone drifting from Christ is indifference to the Bible and Christian fellowship.
God wants to regularly speak to His people with fresh knowledge and understanding while knitting their hearts together in love with other Christians who support them. Similar to going on a treasure hunt (i.e. a shopping spree for deals), we must give God the devotion of time and space via unhurried prayer, the Word (whether from a podcast, church, personal devotions), and Christian fellowship.
It is a rich life when our hearts are continually encouraged by full assurance of right standing with God.
Heavenly Father, my Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that I would attain all the wealth that comes with the full assurance of understanding. I pray that my heart would be encouraged daily, so that I may mimic Paul’s heart for others, in order for them to attain what I have. In Jesus’ name, Amen.