Colossians 2:10
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
According to Strong’s this word literally means to make replete i.e. to cram (such as net), level up (hollow) It goes on to give quite a few more meanings of this word which can found by referencing # G4137.
I say this all the time “I am complete” in Christ. So what I’m really saying is that Christ is crammed full in me like a draught of fish caught in the fisherman’s nets. Also, I could say that I’m leveled out like a hole filled with liquid or something similar. A good example would be a donut with cream or jelly. The cream or jelly completely fills the hollow spaces of the donut.
On the one hand it’s excites me to no end to have that meaning explained, but on the other hand it begs me to search my heart and see if the real honest to goodness truth is that I compete with Christ more than I am complete in Christ.
My favorite verse to end each thing I write is that “I’m hid with Christ” which is Colossians 3:3, but is this really true? Would it be fair to say that I’m competing with Christ rather than completely hiding with Him?
If you don’t understand that word hid, it is near to the same thing that Jesus said in John 10:28-30, when he talked about being in the hand of the Father and no-one could pluck us out.
The word “hid” comes from the Greek Word “krupto” (G2928) which means to conceal (by covering) :– hide (self), keep (secret, secretly (-ly). I’m not a word scholar but I wonder if this is where we get the English word crypt?
A great visual would be someone’s hands holding something fragile.
I guess the best example I can give is from my own experiences and I do have a well of experience to draw from.
I have been thinking about this subject for good while because I have an almost maddening restless spirit within me these days. It seems that I can’t stop fidgeting nor can I get my mind to stop running in a million directions. It is hard to hold one simple thought still and I feel I’m in a constant tug of war.
I say on one hand that I want the will of God to be done in my life, yet on the other hand I’m scheming (I say scheming because that is the real truth) to move my life in the direction I want it to go.
I say I trust God that He is working good in my life but on the other hand I’m constantly fretting about where I am, where I need to be, how should I get there, you know the routine right?
While I was praying and I say praying because that is what we call prayer to God, when in fact we are handing out more instructions to Him than anything else, while praying, He said; “why do you always compete with me?”
Of course it took a minute for that to sink into my brain before I realized what he actually said. When it did register, immediately I became defensive, I know right? Who get’s defensive with God? maybe I am the only one foolish enough to say I do, and I do allot.
I began to list all the reasons why I wasn’t competing with Him and midway through the list, the sheer silence on His side became to eerie to continue. Have you experienced that silencing and eerie quietness from The Lord? I do quite often.
In times like these He poses the question leaving me alone in silence to work it out. So, I decided to do a mental calculation over the last few days, I doubt I could handle weeks or even months. I came up with this conclusion about competing or completing in regards to my own life.
Yes I do Compete with Christ… ALLOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Things I Compete with Christ about:
1) Prayer-
(James 1:19)
More often than not I’m the only one talking. The scripture is very clear about this and yet I fail in this one simple thing over and over. I think I am heard because I talk allot. My kids do this all the time. Sometimes I just say “mom” has left the building (yes, I quoted an Elvis saying) honestly; there are times the chatter gets on my last nerve and I just want to run away. Not that I don’t love them because I adore them, not that I don’t care about their needs and even their wants. There are just those random times that I completely feel overwhelmed by the tenacity in which they approach me. Yet, I do the very same thing to God. I am so glad He never reacts to me as I do to my own children.
2) Attitude-
(I Corinthians 13:1)
Honestly, I probably sound more like a deflated tuba to God than anything else. Rather than risk the answer I may not want to hear, I make a continual noise to hopefully distract Him. Has anyone gone to the football game on Friday only to be blasted over and over by enthusiastic tuba players? After awhile you want to cram the tuba over their head, (oh that’s just you, you say, loll okay my bad) We see this behavior in our children (for those of you who have them) They ask us for something and we say no, thus starts first, the whine, then the cry, then the fit, followed quickly on its heels, the smiley eyed, pouting lip apology. This only comes into play when plans 1-3 do not work. By this time we have either caved in or are close. Sadly enough we translate this to our own lives. We have a plethora of reasons why God should answer in our favor. If we by chance actually hear His answer, we either will not like it or we will completely ignore it.
3) Ability –
(Philippians 3:9)
This one gets me every single time. On one hand I say I’m not righteous but rather, I carry the righteousness of God, and then on the other I am constantly trying to make a fit for me within His Kingdom. For example; leading worship, teaching Sunday School, writing Blogs, giving more, praying more etc. Do you see where I am going with this? The stuff I am doing is not bad whatsoever, it has nothing to do with “the stuff.” It has everything to do with my motivation. I say with my mouth that Christ completes me, and then I live as if I’m all on my own trying to get this thing called salvation worked in me right. Whether in being a mom, I’m trying to be #1 MOM and win the “Mommy of the Year” award, whether in being a wife, I’m trying to be the #1 WIFE of all woman and win the “Wife of the Year” award, or closer to the heart; In serving Christ I’m trying to win the Christian of the Year” award.
All these things are not bad in themselves but they become idols when I seek to achieve them in my own strength.
The TRUTH is that I cannot be any more complete in Christ than I already am. So that means anything I try to achieve using my own strength is in fact a competition with Christ to outdo what He has already accomplished at the Cross.
When this reality dawns on you it kind of makes you sick at your stomach. You see yourself as He sees you and you wonder, just as I have for a long time now; “Lord why do you even love me?” I’m so pathetic in my feeble attempts to impress you.
You will be amazed at His response;
He loves you and me because we complete Him.
You are probably thinking about now that I have lost my mind but I haven’t because the reality is that Christ came to redeem you and redeem me. The whole purpose of creation was for fellowship that was given mutually. He has an entire host of heavenly beings that worship Him, what He wanted was a being (us) that would fellowship with Him by own will. What we have is that Christ came, paid for our redemption with His own life. In turn He offers us 1) eternal life 2) His righteousness (don’t have to achieve it on our own) 3) Complete Fellowship/Acceptance with His Father, paid in full with His own blood.
Without a body the head would have nothing to rule over. Christ is the head of the body and we are the body He carries out His work on the earth with. Does that make sense? We join the body like a puzzle piece that completes the rest of the pieces to make a beautiful picture of Christ when completed.
You are probably wondering how that makes us complete Him, so let’s look at the Word of God to find out.
Again, the Scripture says that I am complete in Christ. Colossians 2:10
Ephesians 4:15- 16
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, (that would be us, you an me) according to the effectual measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
So my closing thought is this; I should rest in Him, not nag Him for answer or results. I should wait patiently for Him to move because He has got my best interest at heart.
I should always keep in mind that I cannot compete with what I cannot earn and I cannot complete Him with my own strength.
Will I struggle with this again and again? Unfortunately I will, but as I see the light of God’s Word and I see the character of God’s heart, I cannot help but surrender!
Be blessed!
I’m Hid with Christ!
Shawn
Searching Gods Heart 