The Mystery Within You

Colossians 1:24-29

God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27, NIV)

MANY PEOPLE ARE IN SEARCH of the presence of God, even when they aren’t aware of it. They need a touch from him, a reassurance of his love, a hint of evidence that he exists and is working on their behalf. They long to experience his goodness, even when they question whether he is good—or real. They live with some faint hope that they will someday encounter the one who created them.

We often pray for such people, well aware that we have been there ourselves. We encountered God not because we were ingenious or diligent but because he came to us. He revealed himself. We pray that others would know him as we do, that he would come to them with a fresh touch or a special intervention in their lives. And he will. But while we ask God when he will show up, he often turns the question back to us, asking when we will show up. Why? Because the mystery of his presence, the core of the gospel message, is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Christ is in you not just for your hopes of glory but for others’ hopes too. You are a carrier of Christ, a host for the divine presence, a temple of the living God. Paul made that clear on numerous occasions (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Ephesians 2:19-22), and it’s true. If you carry his presence with faith and assurance, people will sense something different when you’re around—that the environment has changed though the circumstances haven’t. Things like love, peace, joy, and faith will come out of you because they are characteristics of God’s Kingdom, and his Kingdom is in you. Know your potential, and step into it—never with arrogance, but always with faith and humility. The mystery of God’s presence is revealed through those who wear it well.

{Lord, you have given me a high calling to carry your presence, and there’s nothing I can do to manufacture it. Be strong in me. Fill me with the glories of your Kingdom—the peace of your presence, the wisdom, power, and love of your ways. Jesus, be Jesus in me. Amen.