Colossians 1:24-29

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

-Colossians 1:24-29

Paul is telling them that he is suffering for them.  He is suffering for them in the specific sense of the word, but he is also suffering for the church in a more general sense.  With regards to the church, Paul tell us of his God given duty.  God has given him the task of serving the church by proclaiming God's word.  This word of God that Paul is proclaiming is also known as "the mystery".  There definitely is a purpose for Paul calling it this, as he does in a few other letters.

As I continue through this passage, I feel that Paul's logic is both interesting and difficult to follow.   If I were to take a step back for a moment, let's try to map this out.  Paul is happy for his sufferings for their sake.  His sufferings are for the body.  The body is also known as the church.  The church is what God instructed Paul to serve.  Paul serves the church by proclaiming the word.  The word is the mystery.  The mystery was hidden, but now is being revealed to the saints.  This revealing is to show the gentiles as well.  The mystery is Christ in you, which is also the hope of glory.  It is Christ who is proclaimed.  This is for the purpose of their perfect presentation.  AND it is all for this that Paul does what he does.

I guess I jumped ahead a bit and zoomed out quite a bit, but it's interesting to see.  Paul is explaining all of this and it seems a bit confusing while I'm in the middle of it.  However, I see in the end that Paul makes a point that it is for this that he does what he does.  It is for the end result that Paul struggles hard as he does.  It reminds me to have the end in sight.  Let us look ahead and not be so near sighted.  Actually, that makes me think of the following two passages I will end with.

For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

-2 Peter 1:9

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

-Hebrews 12:1-3