Rejoicing in Suffering (Colossians 1:24)

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In Epistle to the Colossians 1:24, Paul writes one of his most challenging and easily misunderstood statements:

“I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.”

At first glance, it can sound as though Paul is saying Christ’s suffering on the cross was somehow incomplete. But throughout his letters, Paul consistently teaches that Christ’s saving work is fully sufficient. Just a few verses earlier, Paul says that through Christ, God was pleased “to reconcile to himself all things” through the blood of the cross (v. 20). So Paul cannot mean that Jesus’ atoning sacrifice was lacking in saving power.

Instead, Paul is speaking about the ongoing suffering connected to the mission of Christ in the world. Christ’s redemptive work is complete, but the church continues to carry the message of the gospel into a broken world, and that mission often involves hardship, sacrifice, and persecution. In that sense, Paul’s sufferings are an extension of Christ’s ministry. As the risen Christ works through his body, the church, believers share in the cost of faithful discipleship.

The phrase “what is lacking” does not mean a deficiency in Christ’s death. Rather, it points to the unfinished experience of suffering that accompanies the spread of the gospel until Christ’s work is fully revealed in the world. Paul sees his imprisonments, beatings, and hardships as part of his calling to serve the church. He suffers not to add to salvation, but to help bring the good news of salvation to others.

The good news hidden inside verse 24 is this: your faithfulness costs something, and that cost is not wasted. Paul is saying that the suffering he endures in ministry is not an embarrassing contradiction of the gospel; it is a continuation of the same self-giving pattern that Christ embodied. The church is built not only on Christ's cross but on the cross-shaped lives of those who follow him into hard places.

The afflictions of Christ are not lacking in saving power. They are lacking only in their reach, and God calls human beings, through grace, to carry that reach further into the world.

A Spiritual Practice for Today
Reach out to someone who may be carrying a burden and offer encouragement, prayer, or practical help. As you do, reflect on how Paul saw even his suffering as a way to serve the body of Christ in love.

Questions for Reflection and Action

  • How have I experienced growth through difficult seasons?
  • What sacrifices have others made that helped strengthen my faith?
  • How might God use my struggles to encourage or bless someone else?
  • Where is Christ inviting me to persevere in love and faithfulness?
  • How can I support others who are suffering today?

Journaling Prompt
Write about a difficult experience that deepened your faith or strengthened your compassion for others. How did God meet you in that season?

Blessing
May Christ strengthen you in every trial and fill you with hope that does not fail. May your life become a witness to the love and grace of God, even in difficult seasons.

Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for walking with me through every hardship and struggle. Help me to trust that nothing I endure in faith is wasted in your kingdom. Shape my heart through your sanctifying grace so that I may serve others with compassion, perseverance, and love. When suffering feels heavy, remind me that Christ is near and that his hope is alive within me. Amen.

 

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