Not Mine Exclusively--March 11, 2021

 Not Mine Exclusively--March 11, 2021

"For I testify for him [Epaphras] that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you." [Colossians 4:13-14]

It would be fair to say that every sunrise is a gift; but that does not make a sunrise your exclusive gift.

It would be theologically accurate to say that every rain shower is a sign of God's graceful provision for you; but the rain is not only for you.

And as anyone with siblings knows, your parents worked hard to provide for you--from earning the money that put food on the table, to the actual cooking of that food, to the washing of the dishes afterward... and yet, all of those gifts weren't just for you, but for the whole family.

A lot of our lives is spent learning that these blessings in life aren't any one person's exclusive possession--they are common gifts for our common life.  And an awful lot of our lives' struggles come from times when we can't accept that something isn't a zero-sum game--that something good for you doesn't mean less of a good thing for me.  Like the saying goes, it's not pie:  more for you doesn't mean less for me.

This couple of verses is one of those reminders for me that the blessings in our lives--whether we're talking about the beauty of a sunrise or the importance of a dedicated friend like Epaphras was--are not our exclusive property to claim.  Paul mentions that Epaphras has been a dedicated and devoted servant-leader, but not just for the community in Colossae--also for other people and other places, too.  The people of Colossae can be thankful for Epaphras, but they can't claim his as "theirs alone."  The churches in Laodicea and Hierapolis have been blessed by his hard work, as well, and they count for something too.  I get the feeling that Paul is reminding the Colossians, albeit in a friendly way, that like parents cooking dinner for all the children in the family, not just one, this Epaphras is here to help serve and lead everybody, not just their immediate group.  

We have a way of doing this with Jesus, too.  We treat grace like it's "my" private possession, or that saying "Jesus loves me" means you can't claim him, too.  We can be possessive little stinkers, can't we?  And then Jesus up and sends someone into our lives, like Epaphras was sent into the lives of these Colossians Christians, who reminds us once again that God's goodness and provision can't be hoarded.  We can never hold God's blessings in such a way that they can't leak out for anybody else--it's the other way around.  We are always held within the vast ocean of God's goodness that surrounds not only us, but everybody around us. When we realize that, we no longer have to be envious, fearful, or upset when someone else has something good happen in their lives.  We are free, at last, to simply be happy for them--knowing that in the Reign of God, ultimately all of our good is interconnected.

Today is a moment to be grateful, not only for the people or things that are directly good for you, but for the people and things God uses for others as well.  Today is a moment to practice seeing God's blessings, not as the object in our grip that must be held tightly in our grip, but more like the air in our lungs that also fills and surrounds us all over like an ocean... as something beyond our ability to hoard.  

Let's see what such a change in perspective does in our lives today.

Lord Jesus, help us to see the gifts you place in our lives as gifts for all, rather than our exclusive property.