Listen

We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; and by giving thanks with joy to the Father. He made it so you could take part in the inheritance, in light granted to God’s holy people. He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins.

Colossians 1:10-14

Think

I tend to not stress about things in the big picture, but life’s minuscule problems always find a way to wiggle into the back of my mind. Where will I be in 5 years? “It doesn’t matter, things will work out.” Will I make my train in time? “We better hurry and get there an hour early!” There needs to be a healthy balance in how we approach the stresses life throws at us.

When I read what is being told to the church in Colossae, I think the same can be said for how we approach the coming of Christ. I don’t think Jesus would want us to spend all our time watching and waiting with anxiety in our hearts; I also think Jesus wouldn’t appreciate an attitude of indifference. We can look for Jesus without having our eyes only to heaven. What we do here and now is important. Jesus is all around us — in you, in me, your friends, even the person on the street begging for change.

Will Oxford

Pray

Lord, give me the gift of patience. Patience to await your coming, patience within my daily life and work, and patience for those I interact with everyday. Amen.

Go

The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.