Colossians 2:1-8

Paul's heart for the people he'd neither met nor seen is quite surprising. We can see from the Scripture how earnestly he prayed for people at the Colossians church and even voluntarily went through struggles for their sake that they might fully know Christ. How could this have been possible?

It's even hard to sacrifice ourselves for people we are close to, but how can we bear burdens for total strangers? I sometimes feel compassion towards people who I closely know of, but I'm not sure if I really care about all those people who dying in pain on the other side of the world, even though I like to reveal myself as a philanthropist.

This question ultimately leads to how Christ could have carried the cross and died for sinners like us, of whom I am the foremost. Christ not only died for us, but also clothed us with His righteous robe so that we maybe called as His sons. Giving His sonship to those betrayers who nailed His son on the cross... How powerful and inexplicable is His love for us. He is still calling all His children and desires to make Him known to them.

Maybe Paul, who were like us a sinner, saved by God's grace, understood this heart of God for His people. He probably knew that God is earnestly seeking His people to return to Him and truly know Him. He not only knew this heart, but he himself had this heart and lived with this heart.

I honestly confess that I don't have this kind of unconditional love for someone. Maybe I do a little bit, but not of this kind, for sure. I don't just want to be able to love someone with my human heart, but with the heart of Christ. I want to truly know and have the mind of Christ. I pray God would give me His heart for His people that I maybe an instrument that He uses for His vision. Teach me love and compassion, oh Lord!