Going On the Way You Came

  • Jason Smith
  • Oct 26, 2008
  • Series: Walk the Line: A study of Colossians

On Monday, I got the call that my Grandma Smith passed away. She lived 91 very full years. After finishing up my day Monday and making it home a wave of emotion filled my heart and mind as I remembered who she was and what she meant to me and so many other people. You see for the last several years I had not thought much of what made my Grandma unique because she had not been herself as she battled Alzheimer's for several years. But as I had a chance to think about her, I remembered her faith, her joy, and her character. Every person that I talked to this week raved about these things. You see, she truly was a woman after God's own heart. She lived a life that was a reflection of the presence of Jesus Christ in a person's life. It wasn't overly dramatic; it was a simple faith that flowed in and through every aspect of her life. She wasn't perfect, but she was as close as they come this side of heaven. As I reflected on her life that was so well lived, it made me question my walk. When all is said and done will my life truly reflect a person whose life has been changed by Jesus Christ? Will others see in me not just someone who is religious, but someone who has an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ? Will my life ultimately make a profound difference in the lives of other people, the way my Grandma Smith's did?

These are probably some of the same questions that you ask yourself when the pace of life slows down and you are confronted with the realities of life and death. When you take enough time to truly evaluate where you've been and where you are going. It may be the loss of a loved one, a loss of a job, a loss of a marriage. These are the times that we most often take a moment to do a reality check on our faith and our lives. We ask ourselves the tough questions. What is my life going to say about my faith in Jesus Christ? Are my friends, family, co-workers, neighbors going to see an empty façade or a life filled with the abundant blessings and benefits of someone who is walking with Jesus? These questions can all become a little discouraging, because they are so daunting.

Over the past several weeks as we have been studying Paul's letter to the Colossians and we have seen that he has set a pretty high bar for those who would dare to walk the line. This life is meant to be lived in such a way that it pleases Jesus Christ, the creator and sustainer of the universe. It is a walk of faith, of commitment, of devotion, of suffering, and sacrifice. It is not a road that is meant for the faint of heart. But there is hope. Others have walked the line before us, like my Grandma Smith. Others are walking the line with us. And others will walk the line after us. The key to walking the line is to Make progress by moving forward. We move forward going on the way that we came. Paul makes his case for how and why the Colossians are to make progress by moving forward in Colossians 2:6-15.