Colossians

So I've been reading from Colossians in the Message and there have been some verses that have really stuck out to me, so I thought I would share them with you. The Message is soo interesting! Sometimes it can be the epitamy of cheesy, but sometimes it can really help you gain a new perspective on a passage of scripture or a psalm, etc.


"We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less." (1:28ish)

This is soo interesting to me. To be mature is to be basic? That seems to contradictory. We think of mature people as people that perhaps have all the answers, people that know what they are doing, are in control, have independence, are experienced....I guess the world has placed this in me. I almost have trouble understanding what Mr. Eugune H. Peterson could mena. It seems that to be mature is to live out the most basic and most important concept that life is about Christ. One thing I find similar to this is the idea of a child-like faith. Jesus spoke about having faith like a child. It's like one of the hardest things to fully understand/grasp (this idea of faith, this idea of maturity) can only be met when we humble ourselves, when we go about it "basically." It's not something you have to study, go to school for, master in, pass a test, etc, etc to achieve....it's not difficult, it's strait! Christ is the answer! No more, no less! Got it?

"Meanwhile, we content with obscurity, like Christ." (3:4)

Paul wants me to hide, to be humble, be different, to wait, to not know all the answers....ugh, this is frustrating. It almost seems like's a joke, something thrown in at the end. "You know, this awesome stuff is coming...but in the mean time, well, you're just gonna have to wait and be quiet for awhile." I don't know how I feel about that. This passage just stuck out to me because I love words like obscurity, like enthralled, etc....

"Being Christian doesn't cover up bad work." (3:25)

I would say I'm a pretty good person, but I do make mistakes. Sometimes I make the mistake of being apathetic, doing mediocre work, and I just say, "It's fine this time. I can mess up every once and awhile. I'm still a good person. They don't have to know that I didn't do my best." That is soo dumb! This verse really hit me between the eyes. I'm a fool, sometimes!


P.S. I'm done with high school! No more bad 2 optioned high school cafeteria food, lockers, hours, etc, etc. I graduate in 2 days! I'm still letting the idea sink in.....it's very strange!