"I'm filling up what's lacking in Christ's afflictions." Um, seriously?
Paul is joining in the work of Jesus, filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions, and carrying both the life and death of Jesus in his own body everywhere he goes. And beyond Paul's claim that he can help Jesus with His work, he goes on to show throughout the rest of Colossians that we can too.
What if God doesn’t have something great in store for your life?
The way of Jesus is not the American dream. Life will be easier if you don’t follow Jesus—because you can look out for your own interests if you don’t follow Him. You can protect yourself from pain. You can spend all of your might and energy on success. You can rise higher, attain growth, and achieve your destiny—but not with Jesus.
"Sooner or Later" by Mat Kearney
Sooner or later, we all endure some form of pain and suffering. As we learn to be honest about this, we are then able to find hope. Because we realize that we are still waiting for something.
Learning to See: A Complicated Hopefulness
After an awful week of explosions, manhunts, and attempted poisonings, please stop telling me that everything will be ok. And please stop telling me to believe in God's promises. I don't believe you, and I don't understand you.