A Different Kind of Bondage

"Be sure to carry out the work the Lord gave you. Remember my chains. May the grace of God be with you."
-Colossians 4:17-18

Before we get too comfortable with the idea of being free, and the chains being gone, consider a different kind of bondage. Consider the life God calls us too. While, yes, it's a good thing to be free from Satan's power and hold, we are then bound to the power and are held by Christ. St. Patrick, in his prayer known as the Breastplate, prayed in every line that he "bound unto himself" the things of Christ. Maybe we should pray the same. We are not freed to do whatever we want to. As I said a few post's ago in Why Be Free? we are free to complete the mission God gave us, much like the children of Israel. Paul was urging Archippus in verse 17 to do that very thing, "carry out the work the Lord gave you." Sometimes in carrying out the Lord's work it literally means being bound in chains. Colossians was written predominately to the church at Colosse located in Asia Minor, but it also addressed to all Christians. At the time of this letter, Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Because Paul was locked up, Archippus and all believers had an even greater need to step up and fill the shoes in spreading the gospel. The believers life is one called to suffer, it's not all flowers and rainbows, but somehow in the midst of it all the true Christ follower can rise above it and still be joyful, and have hope. I hear joy in Paul's next statement, "may the grace of God be with you." Can you really say that, or wish that to someone else if you were sitting in a jail cell chained up? Paul was able to because his joy, and hope is found only in Jesus. Do we really recognize God's grace?
There are many still today who are bound in chains sitting in jail, because they are bound to Christ. They are in chains for telling the truth about Jesus. Remember their chains. Are we carrying out the work the Lord has given? Are we joyful?
We must be careful not to get to comfortable as Christians. Moreso, we should be careful to not to mix up the thought of being free from Satan, and giving a bad connotation to the idea of being in chains, or labeling mercy and grace incorrectly. Is it mercy and grace that we are free from Satan? You know it! At the same time don't dismiss the idea that it is not mercy and grace if you are ever chained for the sake of Christ, or any kind of suffering for that matter.
One of my good friends, and sister in the Lord reminded me what the definition of joy is this week. Often times, we automatically think about joy as being happy, but my friend explains otherwise, here are her words:

"The only way we can experience joy, is by thinking about God. God has created us to be joyful, not happy. God wants us to have a lasting joy that can only be ours through a relationship with Him. Focusing on the object of "happiness" which is fleeting, is not where the real joy comes from. Joy comes from focusing on our loving heavenly Father that allowed us the experience that happiness, and who promises a hope of eternal joy if we are willing to trust His will for our lives. We have "joy" living is us as the Holy Spirit. Tapping into that resource of Joy that "lives" inside of us, helps us regain joy in the midst of tragedy. "The joy of the Lord is our strength." There is no strength in sadness and the sense of loss. Let's regain our strength, think about the goodness of the Lord, and make a difference in this world of deceit, bitterness, wrath, and fleeting pleasures. Only then can we shine for Him, people will see our good works, and glorify our Father in heaven."

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. In Jesus name. Amen.
(Ephesians 3:14-21)