God is Goodness itself, and there is a greatness to your unique voice in Him!
One of my favorite verses is Colossians 1:27, which reads: “Christ in you is the hope of glory.” There, in 8 simple words, are 2 transformative truths that hold the power to change everything about how and where you and I orient our gaze today!
First…
You carry Jesus in a unique way that reveals the hope he offers humanity.
Christ in you reveals hope. The word “hope” means “a joyful and confident expectation of something good.” Our word, “gospel” means the “good news” itself: that God is good and that he came to restore goodness over every part of creation. Our only job is to simply drop our defenses and let him.
True hope is born on earth when people access an unexpected sense of expectancy. They step from hopelessness and despair, from survival and grinding through to a wistful “what if?”
What if there’s more?
What if it’s true?
What if forgiveness is mine, grace is real, and my past doesn’t have to define me anymore?
What if I can know God as Father and as Friend?
Most often, people access these “what if’s” by looking…at us. Though it baffles my senses, it would seem the best advertisement for the love of God on earth is still “the word of our testimony!”
You carry his hope. And it isn’t merely that. The way you carry his hope is unique in all of creation. God isn’t like the builders of our modern subdivisions, choosing efficiency over artistry. No. There is no cookie cutter mold your gifts and perspective can fit into. There is something distinct about your affection for Jesus, your love for the Father, and your pursuit of the Holy Spirit that is ready to unlock hope in your world in a way nothing else will be able to rival.
And Second…
You carry Jesus in a unique way that radiates his glory and goodness.
Christ in you radiates glory. The word means a splendor and a brightness. It also means a weightiness or substance. It was this Jesus was referring to when he said, “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
But don’t miss this. You carry a unique light that shines magnificently distinct next to the rest of humanity. You possess a peculiar personality that thinks about God, talks to God, and invites others to experience the love of God with a weightiness that is unlike any other person who has ever lived.
One of the enemy’s greatest schemes against our souls is comparison, because in getting us to idolize and chase one another, we start to ignore or condemn the very seeds of glory God desired to sprout from our souls.
We rarely recognize glory in ourselves.
I think there are at least two reasons for this:
We minimize our greatest strengths, because they just seem “normal” to us, and…
We maximize our greatest shortcomings, allowing them to define us far more than they should.
Many of us grew up confusing humility (thinking of yourself with sober judgment) with humiliation (holding yourself under harsh judgment). If you have a hard time receiving compliments, get squeamish when people attempt to share something great they see in you, or feel the need to deflect encouragement or change the subject, this is an indicator of a broken view of yourself.
It isn’t humble. It is an assignment for your humiliation and it has to stop. Right now, God is rejoicing over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). As a proud Father, he is calling for the angels and saints to come see the way you are reflecting the glory he placed in you!
The truth is, there are ways you carry Jesus that deeply inspire the rest of us. They seem normal to you, because they are knit into the fabric of your DNA by the Master Creator. But that doesn’t make them any less impressive! You carry a distinct glory, and you’ve gotta discover it with your head lifted high, because it is critical to the way YOU partner with God in bringing heaven to earth.
Here are 3 ways you and I can grow in releasing “Christ in you, the hope of glory!”
1. Spend intentional time before the face of Jesus.
We are called to receive and release “ever increasing levels of glory” as we gaze into the face of Jesus with “unveiled faces” (2 Corinthians 3). Just like when we go to the gym, we don’t get to “ever increasing levels” of fitness without focused repetition. In the same way, our focused time with Jesus places us in the best position to see who he created us to be!
Do you have regular times of undistracted intimacy with Jesus? What’s one way you could move closer to that this week?
2. Choose healthy community.
We were created as parts of a body who only see the fullness of their function as they work in cooperation with the differing gifts of others. Just like our bodies, when they are healthy, each part can thrive in what it brings, but when it is unhealthy, the parts of the body begin to attack one another and even turn on themselves.
Community is hard. There is no perfect spiritual family this side of heaven. I have been at the same church for over 20 years now, and there have been many, many moments I have been hurt, felt misunderstood, gotten offended, been the offender, and/or wanted to walk away, believing it would be easier to fly solo. I get it. But true unity must be fought for. If you’ve found a place that feels like home, I beg you: stay in the arena and contend for the unity and full function of the saints.
Are you in a community? What is your next step to drop your guard, share your dreams, and look for places to grow in your gifts there?
3. Find an avenue in your community to serve with your unique gifts and voice.
When I was a youth pastor, I would sometimes encounter an older teen or young adult who would tell me their aspirations of becoming a CEO or having their dream job, but yet, they wouldn’t go get a job today.
In the same way, many followers of Jesus lament over not knowing their gifts, or comparing the little they feel in their hand to the blessings they see in their brother.
But here’s the deal. Our gifts only grow through use. You can’t theoretically share glory by simply dreaming about what you might do with your gifts one day. You have to take the risk to put yourself out there to love people with what God gave you!
As you do, it will not go perfectly. You will stumble. You will sometimes feel ineffective, or even like a fool. But you will also discover how you shine!
Much of my life is spent as a communicator of the gospel. In my early years of preaching, I encountered many days after a sermon where I went to our prayer room and asked for the rapture, because of my own disappointment and embarrassment. I compared myself to others and always found myself lacking. I made too much of my shortcomings and could not lift my eyes to see the unique treasure I carried. But in all of it, I didn’t give up. And in all of it, seeds were being planted — in my hearers and in me. And seeds, if you will let them stay in the ground and keep letting God’s Spirit water them, will eventually reap a harvest!
Where is it time to step out in simple ways and serve?
“Christ in you” reveals hope and radiates glory. Don’t lose heart. Your harvest is coming!
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