Pastor Tricia's Ramblings

Have you ever had a backup plan? Maybe you planned an outdoor wedding and had to secure a tent just in case the weather turned. Or maybe you tried cooking a new recipe but had a frozen pizza waiting in the freezer because you weren’t sure how things would turn out. Most of us like to have a “Plan B.” It makes us feel secure, like we’ve covered our bases if the original plan doesn’t work out.

But when it comes to salvation—when it comes to God’s redemptive plan for the world—there has never been a Plan B. There has only ever been Jesus.

The apostle Paul reminds us of this breathtaking truth in Colossians 1:12–23, a passage that paints one of the clearest pictures in all of Scripture about who Jesus is and what He has done. And it’s echoed again in Acts 4:12, where Peter boldly declares, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Jesus wasn’t an afterthought. He wasn’t God’s reaction to humanity’s sin as if God had to scramble for a solution. No—before the foundation of the world, before Adam and Eve ever fell, before we ever drew our first breath—Jesus was Plan A.

Jesus: The Center of Everything

Paul writes in Colossians 1:15–17:

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible … all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Do you catch that? Jesus is not just a wise teacher or a religious leader who came along at the right time in history. He is the image of the invisible God. He is the Creator. Everything was made through Him and for Him—including you and me.

And here’s the best part: “In him all things hold together.” That means your life isn’t held together by your ability to manage it, to control every detail, or to keep every plate spinning in the air. It’s Jesus who sustains you.

This truth is both humbling and freeing. Humbling, because it reminds us we’re not the center of the universe. Freeing, because it means the weight of the world doesn’t rest on our shoulders.

Why We Don’t Need to Impress Anyone

Think about how much of our lives we spend trying to impress others. We chase grades, promotions, compliments, likes, and approval. We measure ourselves against impossible standards—sometimes against what we think God requires, and often against what others seem to expect.

But Colossians 1 reminds us that in Christ, we don’t have anything to prove. Verses 21–22 say:

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”

That means if you belong to Jesus, you are already holy in His sight. Already without blemish. Already free from accusation.

You don’t have to prove your worth to God—He already proved your worth at the cross. And you don’t have to impress people, because the opinion of the One who made you, redeemed you, and sustains you is the only one that matters.

That’s what true freedom looks like.

Jesus Was Never Plan B

Sometimes we treat Jesus as if He were a last-minute solution. We act like the Old Testament was God’s failed attempt at fixing humanity, and Jesus was His emergency backup plan. But Scripture tells a different story.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible reveals one continuous plan of redemption. As Revelation 13:8 says, Jesus is “the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” Before sin ever entered the picture, Jesus was the plan for salvation.

When Adam and Eve fell, God promised that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). When Israel was wandering in the wilderness, God was pointing forward to the Bread of Life. When David reigned, he was foreshadowing the true King who would reign forever.

Every sacrifice, every prophet, every shadow in the Old Testament points forward to Jesus. He has always been Plan A.

Living Under the Kingship of Christ

Paul writes in Colossians 1:18:

“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”

This isn’t just theology—it’s reality. Jesus has supremacy over everything. Over your finances. Over your health. Over your relationships. Over your doubts, your dreams, your struggles, and your successes.

That means when life feels chaotic, He is still King. When prayers seem unanswered, He is still King. When you’re celebrating victories, He is still King.

So the question is: are we living like Jesus is supreme in our lives? Or are we living like we’re still trying to be in control?

Where Do You Need to Let Go?

Maybe today you’re holding on tight to something. You’re trying to manage a difficult relationship. You’re worried about work. You’re stressed about finances. You’re anxious about your children, your health, or your future.

I get it—I’ve been there too. Our natural instinct is to cling tighter, to make a plan, to fix it ourselves. But Jesus is reminding us: “I’m the one holding it all together, not you.”

Where do you need to let go and trust Him today?

Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

What Kingdom Freedom Looks Like

When we realize that Jesus is supreme, that He has already reconciled us to God, and that we don’t have anything to prove, we’re set free to live differently.

We’re free to:

• Love God without fear of rejection.
• Love people without needing something in return.
• Serve without demanding recognition.
• Forgive without keeping score.
• Rest without guilt.

That’s kingdom freedom. That’s what happens when we stop living for approval and start living out of the approval we already have in Christ.

A Kingdom Leadership Example

I think of a friend who leads a small group at her church. She’s not flashy. She’s not trying to climb a ladder. She simply shows up every week, makes a meal, opens her home, and listens well. She’s not trying to impress anyone. She’s just living out the truth that Jesus is supreme, and that serving others is a natural response to His love.

That’s what kingdom leadership looks like—not power or recognition, but humble service rooted in the freedom of knowing we are already loved.

Conclusion: Jesus Is Enough

Colossians 1:19–20 reminds us:

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things … by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

Jesus is enough. He’s not Plan B. He’s the eternal plan of God to redeem and restore. He is supreme over all creation, sustainer of all life, head of the church, reconciler of sinners, and the only name by which we must be saved.

So where do you need to be reminded today that Jesus is in control? What do you need to let go of? What weight do you need to place back into His hands?

You don’t have to impress anyone. You don’t have to strive for acceptance. In Christ, you are already loved, already forgiven, already complete.

That means you are free. Free to love God. Free to love people. Free to live with joy, even in the middle of chaos. Free to rest in the truth that Jesus was always, and will always be, God’s Plan A.