Jesus + "something else"

To be complete in Christ, as Paul puts it in Colossians 2:9-10, encompasses every single facet of our life. The blessings of Jesus should be changing us not only in the most difficult of moments, but maybe even more so in the little moments of life. The little moments tell us a lot about where our hearts really are. The little moments reveal the honest condition of what’s happening in our private lives! What’s your response when someone offends you? When someone else at work receives the admiration or promotion, how do you handle that? You’ve been diligently trying to improve your livelihood but never seem to find contentment; why is that? It’s in the little moments we answer a critical question, “Is Jesus enough?”

Do you need Jesus, plus something else, to have peace, joy, or comfort? The “something else” is typically tied to enslaving sin we have not allowed the Lord to handle. When it comes to being complete or full in Christ, we don’t need something else. He is enough and has broken the power of sin and condemnation that weigh on us.

In Colossians 2:14-15, Christ makes his victory public by subjecting these powers to open ridicule. Here is how one commentator puts it:

“The Roman triumphal procession was the best way to bring home to people, that their returning generals had been winning genuine victories. No one in town that day could possibly be ignorant of what had happened as hundreds of weary prisoners of war were paraded, straggling behind the conquering army. Shamed and exposed to public gaze, everyone could see that there is nothing to fear from these once-proud soldiers…Paul is intent on showing that true spiritual freedom was won for all God’s people through the cross of Christ. It is impossible for anyone to know this King and to not know his glorious victory.”

Jesus has conquered the enemy! Whatever forces used to intimidate or agonize you, have now been exposed and paraded in defeat. Even more so, our King’s glorious victory is not just for what we may consider significant issues, but also in the everyday, little moments that affect our hearts! If Jesus is enough, then certainly we can experience victory in any of our moments!