Think about that because when we realize how amazing knowing Christ is our hearts will open and we will seek to know Him. Paul is sharing to the church in Colosse that Jesus is the plan and they should stop searching for some other way. The plan is Jesus Christ and when they, and now when we, realize that what a difference our life becomes. We get stronger because of Christ, we look at others instead of ourselves because of Christ, we love all people because of Christ. Verses 6-7 say, "And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."
If we want more peace, joy, patience, self control and the rest of the fruit we need to continue to follow Him and let our lives be built on Him. That is when our faith has a chance to grow. Jesus is our rock and our salvation as we surrender and let the Holy Spirit, who was given to us by God when Jesus ascended into heaven, keep us focused on Christ as we mature.
People that show by their lives to have more faith work on developing that faith and opening their hearts to seek all they can about Jesus. The more we grow the more we learn. Our Christianity isn't measured on years being a Christian, it is in our maturity and willingness to develop and let God transform us into the image of Jesus. I love "when, then" statements because they always make me re-read them to see what they are saying. It says when we build our live on Jesus, then our faith will grow. There is no special pill or special saying, it is our desire to be like Christ and to continue to learn to be less of who we want to be and more of who God wants us to be.
Let's look at this warning from Paul and how much God can do for us as we open our hearts and learn. Verses 18-19 say, "Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For He holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it." God does all He can to nourish us are we willing to join in the relationship and let it grow? Amen