For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:

Colossians 1:9-10

Ladies, don’t you just love the apostle Paul’s flair for the dramatic? In this truly classic letter to his friends in Colosse, he first thanks God for their stellar reputation of faith and love based on eternal hope (Colossians 1:5). He then hits them squarely between the eyes with the enormous challenge of living worthy of the Lord in order to please him in every way. 

Oh my! I’m wide-eyed at the thought. How in the world can I live worthy? In Colosse heresies were creeping in; in this day and age, they are rampant. Fortunately Paul has some practical thoughts on the subject. But first, the questions. 

What is worth? Worth is value, merit, honor, virtue. We attach great value to precious gems, to family heirlooms, to people we adore. We assess worth by cost, by appeal to the eye, and by loving feelings.

If we measure worth by heaven’s eyes, only God and “the Lamb, who was slain” (Revelation 4:11; 5:12) are worthy. John the Baptist didn’t feel worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals (Luke 3:16). The Capernaum centurion felt unworthy to ask Jesus to heal his servant (Luke 7:6-7). Paul considered himself the worst of sinners, totally unworthy (1 Timothy 1:15).    

So who am I to feel worthy? Truth is, Jesus made me, made all of us who believe, worthy. Righteousness is another word for worth: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our spiritual DNA is loaded with worth. Along with worth comes the desire to please God.

And so I find myself bathed in Paul’s fervent prayer—not for worth, because I am worthy—but for knowledge of God’s will so I may indeed please Him in every way possible.  

Nancy P