Remember My Chains
Paul concluded his letter to the Colossians by saying the following: “Remember my chains.”
Paul repeatedly found himself in prison. (I wonder if he ever considered that possibility while he was putting people in prison — Acts 8:3; 22:4.) By my count, Paul was imprisoned four times. The first was in Philippi where he was jailed with Silas after casting out a demon from a slave girl (Acts 16:16-34). Then Paul was arrested and put in prison for two years in Caesarea (Acts 24:22-27). He was then taken to Rome where he was placed under house arrest for two years (Acts 28:30-31). Tradition holds that Paul was eventually arrested again in Rome and martyred by Nero.
Much of Paul’s epistles were written while in prison (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus & Philemon). And yet something sticks out to me. Paul’s identity was not about being in prison. His identity was wrapped in Jesus, not his situation. Paul preached Jesus when he was in prison and he preached Jesus when he was a free man. That was his identity. He reminded his readers and friends to remember his chains; he encouraged them to pray for him. But he was more about Jesus than he was his situation.
I want to be more about Jesus than I am about cancer.
Jesus transcends all of our situations and circumstances. May we also be more about Jesus than our specific situation.
Excellent! It is always to be more about Jesus! Praying for you and the entire family.
Hi Zach,
Yes, more about Jesus than about cancer. More about Jesus than about…..every minute of our day whatever we are doing or struggling with. Hurting over something someone said to me? I want to be more about Jesus, about Him in me, Him changing me to His image, than being vindicated or getting justice. Someone praise me? A new day before me? Bad news? Good new? Change me into your image, Lord. I beg You. I do not have time to mess around. I need to be like you and think like you now, shine with you now, for my family, for my brethren, for the lost people who deal with me, especially at the doctor’s office.