Paul’s Rejoicing

Let us begin today to muse from some of the final verses of Chapter 1. Today I want to look at Colossians 1:24 and ‘Paul’s Rejoicing’. It is a rare thing that Paul says, ‘he will rejoice in his suffering’. The word ‘rejoice’ is closely akin to our thought of cheerfulness while spinning around like a top. He is not doing this for the suffering but in the suffering. The reason behind this rejoicing is to fill up that which is behind Christ’ suffering. I do not think that Paul believed that Christ’ suffering was incomplete. God send Ananias to Paul at his conversion to tell him of the suffering that he was to endure. Paul said that not only was he given the gift to believe but also to suffer for His sake. Paul was not ashamed of the fact that God had given him the privilege to enter into the fellowship of Christ’ suffering. For Paul this was grounds for rejoicing. As it was for Paul it could be for me to rejoice in my time of suffering.