Complete in Him

Many people seem to go through life harbouring an “if only”. For instance, they may think “If only I could be married, I would feel complete; if only I had children, I would be fulfilled; if only I had a better job, more money, better health, a nicer place to live, a livelier church …” Or they can have an “if only” of regret: “If only I hadn’t made that mistake, missed that opportunity, had that situation in my childhood, married that person, had such an inadequate education …” and so on.

However, it’s not by improving any of our situations that we blossom into the people that God created us to be. Today’s verse in Colossians tells us that it’s only in Christ that we can be truly complete.

At the cross Jesus did everything necessary for our salvation, which includes our healing and wholeness. As He died on the cross, He proclaimed, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Derek Prince explains that the Greek word used here means “completely completed” or “perfectly perfected”. Jesus’ work is complete and there’s nothing more that He needs to do for our salvation, healing and wholeness. However, we need to receive each aspect of His complete work and appropriate it for ourselves.

Jesus’ death enabled us to be reconciled to the Father. Many of us have had something missing in our lives because of absent parents or an imperfect upbringing, but once we come to know God as Father that loss should no longer hamper us. Jesus says, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). As He comes to us by His Spirit, we can be secure in the knowledge that we have a Father who loves us unconditionally (in spite of all our weaknesses and failings!) and who has created us with a unique identity, which can be complete in Him. As we allow Him to come more fully into our lives, without all the masks and defences that we put up, He will change us and enable us to blossom into the people He created us to be.

In 2 Corinthians 4:18 we’re encouraged to ‘fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal’. Let’s stop thinking about the “if only” in our lives and focus on the wonderful unseen truth that we have a Father who loves us and has a plan for us. He’s created us with an identity that He knows and loves, and we can only be truly complete in Him.

Prayer: Father, please forgive me for harbouring regrets over my life and focusing on negatives. Thank You that You love me and have a perfect plan for me. Thank You that I can be complete in You. Help me to fix my eyes on these unseen truths and allow You to work more fully in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.