PREEMINENCE

Colossians 3:11 “Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.”

One – Stop – Shopping. It is an amazing concept. It is also a relatively new idea. Can you remember a time when the only thing that you could buy at a gas station was fuel? Now, you can purchase nearly anything at your local gas station/mini mart. And how about Super Wal-Mart? Where else can you go and purchase gym socks, motor oil, and eggs all in the same place? People love the convenience and are often willing to pay more to avoid running from place to place.

Isn’t it interesting that most of us fail to take the same approach when it concerns our spiritual needs? We are often too quick to run from place to place in search of hope, peace, and fulfillment. When Paul wrote to the Colossian church he was addressing that very problem. These believers found themselves adding other types of philosophy and religions to their belief in Christ. Things such as ritualism, mysticism, and asceticism were a very prevalent part of their lives. You see, it wasn’t that they didn’t accept Christ and his grace. It was just that they were looking for more. And they were looking in all the wrong places.

The prevailing theme of the Book of Colossians is the preeminence of Christ. To be preeminent means to be greatest in importance or degree or significance. Paul writes that Christ is preeminent over everything. His letter is a call for believers to remember that Christ lives within them and that he is all that matters. In him, we will find all our hopes and everything our heart may desire.

Still, we are often tempted to “look around” when it comes to the voids in our lives. Have you ever felt or maybe even said, “If I only had a better job” or “If I could only find the perfect mate”? Don’t misunderstand; those are things well worth desiring. They will not, however, fill the spiritual voids in our lives. Only Christ can do that. He is preeminent.

The great promise for the believer is that he who is preeminent lives within us. In other words, there is no need to look towards outer things to find our hope, joy, and fulfillment. It already lives within us. The great temptation of the enemy is to cause us to neglect our inner spirit man and set out on a vain search for greater things. You can easily fall into the trap of looking in possessions, relationships, and achievements. Sadly, this will always lead to disappointment and unfulfilled expectations.

Scripture teaches us that God was pleased to have all of his fullness to dwell in Christ. We too should be satisfied in knowing that Christ dwells in us. Therefore, the answer to all our sufficiency is found in him and it can forever be strengthened by cultivating the spirit that is alive within us.

He doesn’t just matter, he is all that matters. Everything else pales in comparison to what a relationship with him will produce in our life. Don’t be discontented with an outward search. Find peace and hope in Christ. You won’t have to look far.