Complete in Christ

Colossians 2:10 "And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority" (BSB).

This is one of my favorite verses because God used it to radically change my perspective on life a few years back. Because of the truth in this verse:

1. No person can determine our worth. To my single friends: You are already whole in Christ. If God has planned marriage for your future that's great, but just because you’re single doesn't mean you're incomplete. It doesn't mean you have to wait around until you find someone to fill you before you can start living a fervent life in Christ full of purpose, joy, and satisfaction. To those who are married: your spouse's actions towards you do not define who you are. We are not defined by what our spouses think of us at any given moment. We are not defined by what friends or acquaintances think of us either. We are defined, and complete, and made whole, by one person only and that is Jesus Christ our Savior.

2. We don't need to measure ourselves and compare. We can hear others rejoice over their good fortune without feeling bitter. We can celebrate someone else' success without feeling cheated out of something. We can scroll through social media and see beautiful people in beautiful places without feeling worthless and inadequate. Because we are complete in Christ and all our worth and security is found in Him.

3. We don't have to strive anymore. Jesus accomplished what no human ever could: He made righteous saints out of wretched sinners through His sacrifice for us on the cross. This means we are considered "good enough" by God to be adopted as His beloved children. Jesus took our "never enough" onto Himself and paid the price for all our sins and mistakes, and He gave us His perfect record in exchange.

Because we are complete in Christ we can have peace. We can have peace no matter what our status in life is or what people think of us. We can have peace when we see other people receive blessings and success. And we can have peace to rest secure in God's presence and be intimately vulnerable with Him—even when we mess up—because of Christ.

Question: Do the opinions of others make or break you? Do you feel cheated and forgotten when other people reach success? Do you feel like you have to strive and earn your way into God’s good graces?

2 Corinthians 5:21 Says, "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin; so that we could be made right with God through Christ. " (NLT).

1 Peter 2:24 says, "He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed" (NLT).

2 Peter 1:3 "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence" (NLT).

Galatians 1:10 "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ" (NIV).