Challenge: Constant

…because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;  Col 1:5-6 NASB (emphasis mine)

I am so thankful for the work of the Word and Spirit of God in my life.  I can look back over recent years and see how God has grown me and used me for His glory.  But I am also sobered because of the ways I can recall stifling it.

Paul was thankful for the Colossians and the fact that the gospel was allowed to constantly bear fruit and increase in their lives.  Constantly.  Wow.

In case you didn’t know, having the gospel bear fruit and increase in our lives is challenging.  It’s tiring.  No, it’s downright exhausting.  No wonder Jesus told us to let Him bear our burdens!  Unfortunately, I so often do not roll my burdens onto Him, so I just can’t keep up.  The “constantly” becomes sporadic the more exhausted I grow. 

As long as I’m living in this sinful world, I will not be able to escape the realities of exhaustion, depression, discouragement, and other major hindrances to the gospel’s productive work in my life.  But, I can increasingly learn to stop trying to handle those things on my own!  My challenge is to stop being stopped by those aspects of life in a sinful world.  My challenge is to stop giving into the things that hinder the constant fruitfulness of the gospel in my life.  The power of Jesus is stronger than any of those negatives.  I’m ready to walk in it!