In a world of constant uncertainty and shifting circumstances, Pastor Josh White reminds us from Colossians 2 that God has a timeless vision for His church — two unwavering desires that never change: that our hearts would be strengthened by truth, and that we would be bound together in love.
The Certainty of Uncertainty
Does it feel like life right now is a little uncertain? In fact, there’s always something going on. Six years ago it was the pandemic. Today there are geopolitical tensions, economic anxieties, and a fresh wave of unknowns. Life feels like a neverending roller coaster — and you never quite know if you’re going up or down.
But as we turn to God’s Word, we can thankfully realize something beautiful: in a world that’s always changing, there are some things that do not change. And that’s exactly why we gather. So today, as we open Colossians chapter 2, Pastor Josh invites us to consider God’s vision for His people — a vision that remains constant regardless of what swirls around us.
Strong Hearts: God’s First Desire
Paul writes in Colossians 2:1–2:
“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ.”
The first thing Pastor Josh points out is that Paul’s desire — and God’s desire — is for our hearts to be encouraged and strengthened. Now, when we hear the word “heart,” we often think of emotions. But in Scripture, the heart refers to the very core of who we are — the center of our priorities, our convictions, and our decisions.
Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 4:23:
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
What fills our hearts will ultimately result in behavior. King David prayed in Psalm 26:2, “Prove me, O Lord, and try me. Test my heart and my mind.” He understood that what our minds dwell on affects every part of us. And Jesus Himself warned in Matthew 12:34, “The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.”
Here’s the key principle: our emotions respond to what goes on in our hearts — and our hearts respond to what our minds perceive. The way to control our emotions is by controlling our minds. When our minds are filled with truth, our emotions respond properly. This is why Ephesians 3:14–16 teaches that we are strengthened with power through the Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith, and we are rooted and grounded in love.
There’s a dangerous flip side: when our emotions are not grounded on truth, they can deceive us. Pastor Josh illustrated this with a relatable scenario — you’re in bed, lights off, almost asleep, and you hear a noise downstairs. Your heart races. Your mind jumps to the worst conclusion: intruder! You grab a weapon and sweep the house — only to find the cat knocked over a picture frame. Our emotions ran wild because they weren’t grounded on truth. The same is true spiritually.
So what is your mind filled with these days? Worries about geopolitics? Anxiety about the economy? Pastor Josh’s point is not to ignore those things — they’re real — but to recognize they are all temporary. What will never change is who Jesus Christ is, our relationship with Him, and the purpose we find in our identity in Him.
“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
— Romans 8:31–32, 37–39
This is the truth that strengthens our hearts. Let it sink in. Let it shape you.
Bound Together in Love: God’s Second Desire
If the first desire is strong hearts, the second is equally striking: God desires that we — His children — are bound and knit tightly together in love. Look again at Colossians 2:2: “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love.”
Pastor Josh shared a convicting quote that captures the balance God calls us to:
“Christianity is not mindless enthusiasm, nor is it lifeless intellectual orthodoxy.”
Our faith is not just knowing facts. And it’s not just overwhelming emotions. It’s both — truth about Jesus Christ affects our minds AND our hearts. And when both are controlled by truth, it displays itself in love for one another.
Why is this unity God’s desire? Because all believers share a common life. We possess the same eternal hope. We came to Christ in the exact same way — through faith in His death, burial, and resurrection by God’s grace. Same salvation. Same faith. Same hope. Same Spirit placed us in the body of Christ. All of these realities bind us together to share in one purpose.
There’s another side to this. Our enemy, Satan, wants us to be divided. God wants our love to unite us. The Holy Spirit works to unite us in love.
“I therefore… urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
— Ephesians 4:1–3
And Colossians 3:14 puts love at the pinnacle: “Above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
So what guides your life these days? Is what is important to you uniting you with other believers — or driving you apart? God desires that our strong hearts direct us into loving Him and loving the body of Christ together.
The Mind of Christ
Pastor Josh closed with the ultimate example: Philippians 2:1–11 — the mind of Christ. Jesus got it right. He fulfilled all righteousness. He demonstrated what it looks like to live according to God’s vision:
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 2:3–5
This is God’s vision and desire for us as the body of Christ. So let truth fill your mind, let it strengthen your heart, and let it unite you in love with the family of God.
Scripture References
- Colossians 2:1–5 — Paul’s prayer for the Colossians; God’s vision for the church
- Proverbs 4:23 — Guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life
- Psalm 26:2 — Test my heart and my mind, O Lord
- Matthew 12:34–35 — Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks
- Ephesians 3:14–16 — Strengthened with power through the Spirit in your inner being
- Romans 8:31–32, 37–39 — Nothing can separate us from God’s love
- Colossians 3:1–3 — Set your minds on things that are above
- Philippians 1:27 — Stand firm in one spirit, striving side by side for the faith
- Ephesians 4:1–3 — Walk worthy; maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
- Colossians 3:12–14 — Put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony
- Philippians 2:3–5 — Have this mind in you which was in Christ Jesus