“To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” (Colossians 1:29 NIV)
Here Paul talks about his ministry. It’s something that requires of him a lot of hard work and personal sacrifice. But he’s not alone, and it’s not just with his own strength he labors. It’s Christ’s energy working in and through him. I want this in my life, too. It can be easy to fall into the habit of treating ministry like it’s “just a job.” Like if I just put in the time and effort, that’s enough, forgetting that God may have a different definition of success, and that that success isn’t possible to achieve on my own. I can’t create an effective, life-changing ministry on my own. I need God. Yes, I can and should work hard for the cause of Christ. But not in my own strength alone. Like Paul, I need to “strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”