Take a moment to read Colossians 1:7-10 before reading the devotional below.
We find out more in today’s verses about how Paul learned of the great work happening in Colosse: his co-worker Epaphras. Not much is known about him, though he is also mentioned in the very short letter called Philemon. This mention makes sense because Philemon’s home church was with the Colossians and Epaphras is clearly with Paul at that point.
Paul’s prayer for the Colossians is one that most of us have prayed for ourselves: to know God’s will for our lives. Wouldn’t it be great to just know God’s will in all circumstances? A clear path to light our way? When we have this clarity, we can live wisely, grow in spiritual maturity, honor God, and see the fruit of our spiritual labors.
Here’s your freedom for today: God’s will is not a mystery. In another of Paul’s letters (this one to the Romans), he illuminates the subject of God’s will. He says that we are to offer our bodies as a kind of living sacrifice. When we do this, we begin to know God’s will. It’s all about changing how we think — moving from the way the world works to the way God’s kingdom works. God has made these things clear to us in his word so that we can follow him. God himself is so infinite and complex that he will always be a mystery to our limited minds. But knowing his will is not a mystery, it simply requires sacrifice of our bodies and minds. Begin today by acknowledging that many (or most!) of your thoughts are unhelpful or just plain wrong. You don’t have it all figured out. You can do less, stop overthinking, and just simply do the basic things described in the Bible. The hardest part is holding still long enough to listen.