“I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea …”
Colossians 2:1 NIV
Something in this passage caught my attention. Paul is struggling for believers, including those in Laodicea. He wanted them to be encouraged, united in love, and growing deeper in their relationship with Jesus (v. 2).
Do you recall what John writes about the Laodicean Christians in Revelation 3? Jesus described the church as spiritually poor, blind, and naked! (Revelation 3:17) What happened along the way in their spiritual journey?
How did a church Paul was so concerned about become a church who drifted in their spiritual relationship with Jesus? We don’t know all the details, but there’s a powerful lesson for us. Spiritual drift doesn’t usually happen overnight. It happens gradually, often without much awareness.
What is concerning to me as a pastor, for all of us including myself, is that we get busy doing things FOR Jesus, while slowly neglecting our relationship WITH Jesus. Paul gives us the answer in Colossians 2:6–7: “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him…”
Church ‘Ohana, I don’t think we drift into deeper intimacy with Jesus. We must intentionally cultivate our relationship with Him. Let’s guard our hearts against spiritual drift by staying connected to Jesus, cultivating our dependence on Him, and continuing to grow in Him. The answer to spiritual drift isn’t simply doing more FOR Jesus. It’s cultivating a deeper life IN Jesus!
Let’s encourage one another to grow mānoa in our IN-timacy, IN JESUS! Love y’all!
