Complete in Him

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:8-10

It is so easy to get caught up in what others think.  We walk away from a conversation and can't get it out of our mind?  Someone doesn't answer our hello and it bugs us for days?  My dear friends, there is a way in each of these examples in which we are looking for something from that person to make us feel complete, whole, okay.  When others disagree with us or are critical and harsh we feel wounded and angry that we are misunderstood.  We lose sleep worrying over conflict in the family, at work or with our neighbor.  Why?  Often, because we want people to like us and even more so, we believe we need people to like and accept us for us to feel and be okay.  When we don't think they do, it becomes a motivation of our heart to fix it somehow, some way.  All of this points to a heart-belief that others complete us, others define who we are, and others determine our sense of well-being.  As long as we are on good terms with everyone, we're okay, but if there is an issue with someone it begins to usurp large portions of our waking hours and sometimes even our sleeping hours.  

When we stop to consider our day's verse, we begin to recall that God alone completes us.  No one will ever be our everything the way that only Jesus Christ can.  Verse 10 says "and you have been filled in him" if we are filled with Jesus Christ, filled full up; there is no empty space that requires other people to fill for us to be okay. So why do we continually look to others to fill us, give us meaning, stability and a sense of value.  Jesus Christ has already done that.  Stop looking elsewhere!

Next time you are feeling attacked, judged, criticized, misunderstood, slandered, accused, or misrepresented, call to mind "I am filled in him (ESV); I am complete in Him (NKJV)" It can suddenly put the entire situation in a Godly perspective and make all the difference in the world in what attitude you will have, how you will process the situation and how you respond.  

Complete is complete. We don't need other people's approval or acceptance to make us more complete.  There is no such thing as more complete.  We are complete in Jesus Christ.  

Diane