Imagine your life had a “fill-to” line, like a gas can or coffee pot. How close would you say you are to being full? Most of us, if we’re honest, often feel like we’re running on empty or just shy of feeling completely fulfilled. We look to our careers, relationships, hobbies, and even our health to try and top off that tank. And, just when we think we’ve got the right combination, life happens—we get “bumped,” and some of that fullness spills out. Suddenly, the things we relied on to make us feel complete seem fragile, and we’re left scrambling to fill ourselves up again.

It’s a common struggle, and it’s not new. In fact, Paul addresses this very issue in his letter to the Colossians. The Colossian church had a reputation for being full of faith, love, and hope. But Paul didn’t want that fullness to leak away, so he reminded them where true fulfillment comes from—the Gospel of Jesus. It’s not about adding Jesus to our existing mix of success, relationships, and achievements. Instead, it’s about realizing that only in Jesus do we find the fullness we’re truly searching for. He’s not an addition to our life—He is our life.

What’s freeing is that this fullness isn’t a one-time event. It’s a process, a relationship that grows and deepens as we live it out day by day. Paul prayed that the Colossians would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will and strengthened with God’s power. Not so that life would be easy, but so that even when it gets hard—when we feel bumped or blindsided—we wouldn’t lose our sense of hope, purpose, or identity. That’s what living the “filled-full life” in Jesus looks like.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life are you tempted to seek fullness apart from Christ? What specific things do you rely on to feel complete?
2. How does the idea of being "filled-full" in Christ challenge your view of success, identity, and purpose?
3. In what areas of your life do you feel like you’re leaking? How might you invite the Gospel to grow in those places?

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