Nadine Salvesen - Colossians 1:28-29

Our Role - God's Role
Col 1:28 & 29

We proclaim Him, warning everyone & teaching everyone in all wisdom,  that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, striving with all the energy which He mightily inspires in me. (RSV)

Paul is a teacher who loved the flock God entrusted him to lead. I hear a resolution in those first words:  “We proclaim Him!” We can’t keep it to ourselves – we are to tell people…tell everyone…who Jesus is! We need to get out of our comfort zone because people are dying without hearing of God’s love for them. We should feel as strongly as Paul does, that we want people not only to know about Jesus but that they also become mature in Christ. When we think of warning & teaching others, we usually think of our children or others in church. But that word “everyone” is pretty inclusive. However… some people don’t take kindly to being warned. It requires that we get very serious about growing up ourselves so that through the Holy Spirit we have God’s wisdom to respond in godliness because being told we’re sinners & need a savior isn’t always kindly received.  Paul is a realist. He goes on to say: “For this I toil, striving with all the energy which He mightily inspires in me.”  This takes hard work!  Many of us just finished watching the Olympics & listening to some of the stories of the athletes & what they were willing to do just to make it to Rio.  I thought about a passage from I Cor 9 where Paul says: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” It begs the question whether or not I’m willing to toil & strive with all the energy with in me for God & an eternal reward. When I consider what all those athletes were willing to do for the hope of winning an Olympic gold medal, merely a perishable reward, it caused me to look at myself & what God has called me to do for His kingdom. As the Teaching Director for Community Bible Study, there are times when it seems like so much work & I sometimes think how much easier it would be to leave it for someone else. But God has reminded me this summer that He has called me to this job, He’s equipped me, He’s right there with me, but I need to obey.  Being a follower of Jesus & proclaiming Him is hard work, but I so want to give Him my all, strive with all the energy which He mightily inspires in me for His glory & His kingdom. Each of us are called to serve God with all the energy He provides.  Would you examine yourself & consider:  Have I made the decision in my mind & in my heart to strive with all the energy which He mightily inspires within me to proclaim Jesus to everyone, to grow in all wisdom & be an instrument to help others grow to maturity for God’s eternal kingdom?  His rewards are beyond this world!

Nadine Salvesen lives in Ridgefield, has been at Hope for 17 years & serves on the Mission’s board & is the Teaching Director for Community Bible Study.