For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. – Colossians 2:5-7
I came across this passage of Scripture in my Bible reading a while back, and it touched my heart in so many ways. In my daily endeavor to be thankful in all things in this life, I was especially moved by verse 5. It made me think of all of the people I personally know who have gone on to Heaven over the past few years, as well as those from our church and the body of Christ around the world. Verse 5 reminds us that those who have gone on before us who are now in Heaven are still with us in spirit. They rejoice in knowing that we are holding down the fort and take pride in knowing that we are doing our best to stand firm in our faith.
This thought, sometimes, is what has kept me going since my husband went home to be with the Lord six years ago. We spent our whole married lives serving the Lord with all of our hearts. I often wonder, “Would my husband be pleased with the way I am living my life now?” Now, I know it is more important to think about how God would want me to live, but it is impossible not to think about how my loved one would think of the way I am living now.
Am I standing firm in the faith? Do I still live the way I was taught, putting into practice all that I learned while serving in the ministry with my husband? Am I pleasing the Lord with my life, walking the way Christ would have walked on this earth? Do I still have the fervor for souls that I used to have when I would walk the streets knocking on doors with my husband?
Sometimes, it is easy to lose sight of what is important. However, this passage in Colossians has encouraged me to remember that as a Christian—as someone who has Jesus Christ living in me through the Holy Spirit—I need to keep myself rooted and firmly established in my faith by holding fast to the things I have learned through the years and being an example of the faith for my children and my grandchildren.
As I think back and remember all of the good things that I learned while in the ministry with my husband, I am learning to be immensely thankful as I serve the Lord where I am now in my life. I am eternally grateful to the Lord for all of the things that I learned in the past and for all of the things I am learning now as a widow. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour, and now carry the name “Christian.” Because of this, I need to walk as close to Christ as I can walk. I must remain firm and established in my faith as I have been taught; and more importantly, I must live my faith with thanksgiving.
by April Hernandez