Session 11

Who are you pointing people to?

From Colossians: A 28-Day Devotional

Many of us have experienced the joy of being recognized for doing something well. From childhood to adulthood, we are rewarded for doing the right thing.

This merit system can cause us to believe that working harder and doing more is the answer to everything. That if we do enough right things, we can fix anything.

Paul wanted to make sure the Colossian church understood that Jesus, not humanity, is the solution the world needs.

"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition ..." (Colossians 2:8).

Only Jesus has the power to save us and to restore creation to God’s perfect design. And the sooner we get that, the sooner we start to see Jesus as He really is — the fullness of God in human form, the divine with skin on.

As humans, our natural bent is to put ourselves at the center of every situation. We are quick to take Jesus’ place as Savior without even realizing it.

The only power and authority we have Jesus gave to us. Remember, before we ever did a thing for Jesus, He rescued us (Romans 5:8). As a result, "you have been given the fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority" (Colossians 2:10, NIV).

We are made whole and complete through Jesus’ sacrifice for us, not because we did anything for Him. Our joy doesn’t come from within but from Him.

Jesus alone holds the peace, freedom, and answers our world needs. As we follow Jesus, people will start to see Him in us. When that happens, it’s our responsibility to point them back to Him.

Reflect:

• How can you tell when your actions are Christ-centered or self-centered?
• What is one way you can use your actions to honor Jesus rather than yourself?