For He was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things....

Colossians 2:6-9,

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.”

Commentary notes, “Now he encourages them to go on in the same way in which they had originally begun, that is, by faith. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. The emphasis here seems to be on the word Lord. In other words, they had acknowledged that in Him there was complete sufficiency. He was enough, not only for salvation, but for the whole of their Christian life. [1]

Another commentary notes, “Since all of God’s fullness resides in Christ, every spiritual reality is found in Christ. In Him, we lack nothing.” [2]

Feeling something more was needed was the same lie that Adam and Eve bought into in the Garden.   Satan convinced them that what they had, standing in the glory of God and eating from all the other trees in the Garden, was just not enough... they needed something more spiritually.  They needed to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil so they could be like God. 

In their wanting, they reached out to take something more. They failed to see the glory they stood in and the fullness they were being provided, walking in the garden naked and unashamed. They were blind to what they had and not overflowing with gratitude, contentment and thanksgiving.

In this reaching out for more, they let go of the fullness of what they had. Rather than ending up with the 'more' they anticipated, they ended up feeling empty. They were naked, ashamed and hid – creating an endless cycle of feeling empty and reaching for something more to fill that place.

The problem in the world view is that we never feel we are enough, are doing enough, growing enough or becoming enough. There is out there this 'more' we should have, do or be.

To an extent, the Colossians were struggling with this. They began to think that what they had in Christ was not sufficient – there was something more they needed. They started buying the lie that certain religious activities and regulations needed to be added to their walk of faith to truly be spiritual.

Ever think like this? … Feel a little empty and go to this place of something more being needed. Sometimes my thoughts go to this place... Someone writes a book, starts a new ministry, does something exciting and, feeling empty, I am suddenly comparing myself and coming up lacking.

I start thinking of all the things that I am not doing or am not and go to this place of 'want' that feels empty.... maybe I should be starting a ministry, writing a book, getting a new degree, spend more time in prayer, and on and on. While these things are necessarily bad, when they come from a place of lack rather than fullness, I will more than likely seek to get my life from them rather than give my life through them.

“You alone are worthy of all that I am” sings.

We are meant to be a reservoir welling up and overflowing with His fullness. Jesus says, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

This spring of living water is available to anyone who is thirsty for it. Jesus says in John 7:37, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.”

When we are in a place of wanting something more than what we have been provided, it is a good hint that our eyes have moved off Christ and are on ourselves and the world around us. We need only turn our hearts and eyes back to Christ, the fullness that fills all to overflowing. Let our hearts well up with gratitude, thanksgiving and praise for who He is to us, in us and through us.

Paul says to the Colossians who lost sight of Christ and thought they needed something more, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)

Commentary notes, "The Greek verb for set emphasizes an ongoing decision. Christians must continually discipline themselves to focus on eternal realities, instead of the temporal realities of this earth. A Christian’s life is no longer dictated by this world but is hidden with Christ." [3]

Another word for hidden here, is the Greek word krupto, Strongs #2928.  It means both to be kept in the secret place and also to escape.  It also means to conceal so that it does not become known.   

Lord, forgive me for sometimes thinking I need something more.  Turn my eyes back to You when I feel empty and in want.   Let us be a people who do not strive for something more but live out of the fullness you have already lavishly poured out upon us.  Fill our hearts to overflowing with thanksgiving and praise. 

1. MacDonald, William ; Farstad, Arthur: Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1995, S. Col 2:6

2. Radmacher, Earl D. ; Allen, Ronald Barclay ; House, H. Wayne: The Nelson Study Bible : New King James Version. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1997, S. Col 2:10

3. 

Radmacher, Earl D. ; Allen, Ronald Barclay ; House, H. Wayne: The Nelson Study Bible : New King James Version. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1997, S. Col 3:1