Where is your Completion?
By Josh Pruitt, M.D.When I graduated from college, I did something I never thought I would do... I moved back in with my parents. This was certainly not in my plan for me! Granted, I was attending medical school just 15 minutes from their home, but, seriously, moving back home? At age 23? After having lived on my own for 5 years of college? (Yes, I squeezed 4 years of undergraduate work into 5!) What a blow to my ego. I began to ponder the age-old question, “Will I ever get married?” I mean, seriously, who wants to date and marry a guy who still lives in the same bedroom in which he grew up?
During that time, Colossians 2:9-10 became more real to me – “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him ...” How miraculous and amazing! I had begun to look for my completion outside of Christ, namely in a spouse. But Colossians 2 reminded me that my completion is in Christ... alone! And not only that, but I was promised in verse 9 that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in this Person who completes me! Now that’s exciting! And so much more than I could ever ask of a spouse. It also showed me how truly unfair I was being to my future spouse. How could I ask of her what only Christ can do? You see, a spouse is not only incapable of completing me, but I wouldn’t want her to complete me. I would much rather my completion be in the One in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells.As fallen man we often spend a great deal of time, energy, and resources attempting to substitute temporal solutions for the eternal completion of Christ. Some may be like me, searching for their completion in another person. Some may look for completion in wealth, status, fame, drugs, etc. We often tend to look with some disdain upon people who search for fulfillment in “the filth of the world.” What we need to remind ourselves, however, is that the first of the ten commandments instructs us to have no other gods before our God. In other words, we must not place other things in the role of God in our lives.
Doubtless, there are some out there reading this, my first attempt at such an article, who are longing for the day they’ll be married. Certainly, marriage is a good thing and should be something to which you look forward. My encouragement to you is this: find your fulfillment in Christ, and Christ alone. Don’t pine your single days away thinking you are incomplete without a mate. The one who completes you is the one in whom the Godhead dwells, and that is Christ. You have innate value within yourself in that Christ loved you enough to die for you. Go out and work for Him. Keep doing right. Know that Christ understands your loneliness and the desires of your heart. Confess to Him your dependence upon Him to live this single life. “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways,” we read in James. Focus yourself fully on the work of the kingdom, and Christ will fulfill you, keep you, and complete you.And, for those of you wondering if the guy living in his childhood bedroom could actually get married, the answer is yes. I finally gave that desire to God, and several months later, through a series of unusual events, He brought a godly woman into my life. She and I were married five months later! By the way, she complements me quite well ... I still have to remind myself occasionally who completes me.
Josh lives in Iowa with his wife, Janel, and three children, Emma, Trent, and Molly. By day (and sometimes night) he fights disease and despair as an ER physician, and otherwise can be found giving a mean horsey ride to the aforementioned kiddos. Josh and Janel also lead the singles' group at their local church.