Dear Friends,
We live in a culture that constantly bombards us with philosophical messages about what attitude we should cultivate about ourselves and our lives. It seems everyone has a word of wisdom to share. One place I hear a lot of advice is from fitness instructors from whom I take online exercise classes. One instructor recently opined that the fallacy of all love songs “is that they are about someone else.” Hearing this, I couldn’t help imagining myself belting out a melodramatic ballad of adoration for myself and pledging my eternal faithfulness to myself. This made me laugh and shudder at the same time. The wisdom of Jesus is entirely different from the wisdom we hear from the rest of the world. In the Bible, we read that wisdom is found in loving each other.
In his letter to the church in Colossae, Paul writes that he has been fervently praying for the people there. And he tells them what he has been praying for. He has been praying that “they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 2:2-3 NIV)
Breaking this down, Paul is praying that the church in Colossae will be encouraged. And he is praying that they will love in such a way that they will be united to one another. The reason for this prayer is that Paul wants them to come to a fullness of understanding. Fullness of understanding, he says, is Jesus, who contains all wisdom and all knowledge. In other words, in loving each other, they will know Jesus, thereby knowing God and attaining the totality of all wisdom. Taking this to heart, we don’t become wise through reciting mottos or by reading self-help books or ancient or modern philosophers. We don’t gain true knowledge by studying economics or politics or sociology, etc. We gain true knowledge and true wisdom by loving others. Because, as we grow in love, we draw nearer and nearer to the heart of God.
I keep a list of people I am praying for regularly. After reading this passage from Colossians, I have started to pray for them as Paul prayed for his friends in Colossae, that they will love, and through loving know Jesus and all of his wisdom. If you keep a prayer list, you may wish to do the same. And of course, pray for yourself to know love.
Jesus, don’t let me be distracted by the so-called wisdom of the world around me. Let me instead be committed to love, immersed in love, united to you in love. And there, let me find you and your great wisdom. Amen.
Love in Christ,
Michelle
