A Prayer about Christ Our Life

Who or what is your life? 

“When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:4

Jesus, Our Lord and Life,

We confess – as earthly citizens, 

we often hear and even ascribe 

to sayings like, 

“Life is good,” 

“Life is short,” 

or “Salt Life, “ 

“Craft Life,”  

“Pickleball Life.”

These sayings are sometimes cute and sometimes uplifting, 

but they are meaningless compared to the clause, 

“When Christ who is your life appears….” 

These words sum up our truest life, 

our real life, 

and they change everything 

about our lives now 

and in the future. 

As Eugene Peterson put it in The Message, 

“[Our] old life is dead. 

[Our] new life, 

which is our real life—

is with Christ in God. 

He is [our] life.” 

And one day, 

soon you say (Revelation 22:7?), 

you will “appear,” 

that is, be made visible, 

so that we can see you 

physically, literally. 

And in that day, 

our truest selves, 

our real lives will be complete – 

our glorious selves will be made visible! 

And as John adds, 

when you appear, 

we will be like you, 

because we will see you as you really are! (see 1 John 3:2). 

What hope that gives us for today! 

What motivation to live into the righteousness and glory 

you have already declared in us through Christ. 

Amen.

Read Colossians 3:1-4; 1 John 3:1-3.