Together in Christ: 'Beyond Words of Greeting' — Colossians 1:2

Jesus made clear that life wouldn't be easy for us as His disciples:

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." ^[1]

Jesus wants us to find peace in Him — in what He did for us and what His victory over sin, death, and hell means for us. He didn't sugarcoat the challenges we will face as His followers. God's enemies did ugly, horrible, and abusive things to the Lord, and He warned us that those things would likely be part of our lives as His disciples, too. ^[2]

Despite the hardships and persecutions, Paul challenged us as Jesus' disciples to shine like bright lights in the darkness of the world around us. ^[3] Peter said that even when we are abused, persecuted, or martyred, we are to live with goodness and godliness so others can see our way of life and be drawn to Jesus. ^[4] We should be prepared, always, to share the reason for our hope in Christ. ^[5]

How were the Colossian disciples to find peace in such a troubled world? Only God can give that kind of peace through His Holy Spirit. When Paul wrote to these believers, he began his letter to them with the common words he often used for greeting other believers — grace and peace. However, this was far more than a throwaway, polite, and expected line at the beginning of a letter for Paul. Grace was the foundational work of Jesus through His incarnation in human flesh, death on the cross, and resurrection from the dead. ^[6] The Greek word used for "peace" in today's verse and in much of the New Testament is the equivalent of the Hebrew word for "shalom" in the Old Testament. Shalom has a broad meaning of peace, well-being, safety, wholeness, and living a flourishing life. This type of peace and wholeness in life was rooted in the presence of God within the Colossian believers, ^[7] as it is for us. Paul's greeting was as much a prayer for them to find God's shalom as it was a greeting to them.

If Paul gave this prayer of greeting to these early believers, shouldn't we bless each other with grace and peace? Shouldn't our prayers share similar sentiments and prayers for each other? Let's remind each other where we can find God's blessing: His grace and peace!