For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:16,17
Have you ever had a verse that you have read a dozen times, but one day it just hits different? It’s like walking on the same path every day, and one day you notice a beautiful plant and wonder, is that new or has it always been there and I’m just now noticing it? This verse in Colossians was one of those for me.
The Pauline Epistles (specifically Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians) tend to be books I return to often, sometimes just because they are familiar and easy when I don’t know what else to read. But that familiarity can cause a blindness to the depth and beauty of what is actually being said. Several years ago I read Colossians 1 — likely as part of a topical Bible study at church, I can’t remember exactly what drew me to this passage at this particular time — and the section of verses about the preeminence of Christ struck me in a new way.
Verses 15–20 emphasize Jesus as the superior, supreme authority. In that particular season of life, I needed a reminder of this. Everything around me felt like chaos that I could not control — where I was living, what my job was, what my family looked like. Rapid-fire changes in a relatively short period of time that left me feeling anxious and untethered.
One day the Lord slowed me down and opened my eyes to the beauty of verse 17. “In Him all things hold together.” I had this picture of Jesus wrapping His arms around me and all the things I could not control and saying, “I am holding this together; you don’t have to.”
That picture of Jesus became a lifeline to me. That phrase became like a mantra. Every time anxiety rose, every time things felt uncertain, every time I felt helpless…I repeated over and over, “In Him all things hold together.” As I sat at my kitchen table praying. As I walked around the neighborhood. As I drove to work. As I laid awake at night. “In Him all things hold together.”
Knowing this and clinging to this does not negate the real human emotions invoked by life circumstances. It does not take away the sting of disappointment when a loved one betrays you. It does not eliminate the stress of work when your boss makes a decision you don’t like or a coworker is frustrating. It does not remove the tension of a strained relationship with a parent, child, or sibling. God created us in unity and harmony, and we feel deeply the effect of anything that disrupts that. And yet, despite how we feel, we can trust that Christ is holding all things together.
The first few verses of Hebrews 1 echo this sentiment. Because He is superior, because He is the heir of all things, because He is the Son of God through Whom everything was created, because He atoned for our sins…we can cling to the truth of verse 4 that says, “He upholds the universe by the Word of His power.”
Maybe you’ve walked this path before, too. You’ve read the words, heard the sermons, sang the lyrics. But perhaps today, on that same familiar path, you’re finally seeing the beautiful truth that was always there: “In Him all things hold together.” It was true the first time you passed it and it’s true now. It will be true when the struggles, strife, and stress of life press in. You can rest in the peace of knowing Jesus is holding it all together and you don’t have to.
Written by Randi Walle