Colossians 2:10
You are COMPLETE in Him, which is the head of all principality and power
The word “complete” here means to be full, filled up, lacking in nothing.
This is a very foundational concept in Christianity but I find most Christians struggle to comprehend this.
If you are complete in Him, then you don’t need to search elsewhere to find yourself or your worth. You don’t need to continue trying to prove yourself to man, or gain attention or recognition from man. You don’t need to compete with anyone else to gain the sense you are better or equal to them to be valued or worthy. You don’t need to seek fame or accolades to enrich your pride and self esteem. You don’t need to seek the riches of this earth to establish your security.
No!!! If you are IN CHRIST, then in Him, you are full, you are COMPLETE. And because you are complete there is no need to compete! You are not less than someone, you are not loved less, valued less, worth less.
NO! But the scripture says in proverbs 23:7” for as a man thinks in his heart so is he”. So if we truly BELIEVE we are COMPLETE in Him, we would not desire to be anybody else. There is no need to fill because there is nothing missing IN CHRIST.
He is not lacking in anything! In fact this scripture says He is the boss! He is the head of all principality and power. He is the head and not the tail, and so if you are in CHRIST then so are you!
You do not need to strive to prove yourself to anyone. You do not need to compete with anyone to be “better than” or “first”. This is what Jesus’ disciples did on a daily basis. And you notice Jesus didn’t pander to their insecurities. He didn’t comfort their need to be His favourite or the greatest.
In fact one time he answered their question of who is greatest by telling them unless they be “converted” (Matt 18:3 -4) and humble themselves as a child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In other words, He’s saying, to operate in My Kingdom way you cannot have the thinking of this world. You must be “converted”. This word convert in the Greek literally means to turn, to change. Sometimes we need to turn and be converted in our way of thinking! And stop aligning ourselves with the worldly ways.
Another time he said the greatest in the kingdom is the greatest servant of all. (Mark 9:35)
I’ve loved watching the series “The Chosen”. I especially love how the competition between the disciples is being portrayed. I don’t know how Jesus endured it. I mean it must have been exhausting. Most of the competition was between his three closest disciples. I mean now they were His best friends and were the most competitive! I would think they would have been the most spiritual! But it seems they weren’t!
See it didn’t matter what privileges they were given it still wasn’t enough until they understood they weren’t going to find what they were looking for apart from Him. Their worth, value and esteem had to be completed in Him. Not in the external realm of pride , position and how they are seen by others.
Philippians 3:3
“For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances”
It’s a very humbling process to find you are worthy because of someone else’s worthiness. It’s very humbling to acknowledge that your righteousness is as filthy rags and you are only righteous because the Lord is our righteousness. It’s humbling to acknowledge striving and finding value and worth in your own works is vanity.
We are not to put any confidence in the flesh, outward appearances or physical advantages!
When we finally humble ourselves and receive our COMPLETENESS in Him, the striving, anxiety, stress, jealousy, competition and pain of rejection end.
Putting faith in your completeness in Him keeps you safe. It is your protection from pride, because boasting in your own strength is made impossible abiding in Christ.
You don’t need to keep trying to find your fit. You already do fit, in Christ.
Colossians 2:20
“If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world’s crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you still belong to the world? [Why do you submit to rules and regulations?–such as]”
The worlds way is always externalism. And Paul is saying if you are in Christ then why are you living according to the ways of this world. Why are you seeking the external “apart” from Christ way of living? Finding value, success, identity and worth in an inferior external place, when you have been positioned in CHRIST, who is the boss of all that!
Makes sense doesn’t it? Paul is asking us a valid question!
Don’t let the devil fool you! It is finished. There is nothing more to attain to. Jesus has finished it, overcome and conquered. And in Him that is your story.
YOU ARE COMPLETE- so there is no need to compete.
