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Category Archives: Colossians

Colossians 3:16-17

25 Nov

16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:16-17

Dear God, I’ve been reading a biography on Fred Rogers (a.k.a. Mr. Rogers), and the portrait it paints is quite lovely. What a unique man! I mean, really, you just don’t find people like him–even among the most devoted of Christians. I’ve maybe known one personally. His name was Henry Parrish. He was a simple tennis coach from Corpus Christi who exuded your gentleness, love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control. Exuded it. That was Fred Rogers too. My Henry probably talked more about his faith publicly than did Mr. Rogers, but Mr. Rogers was also in a much more secular environment than Henry was. I would venture that Henry was maybe more circumspect about his faith when he was teaching in the public school. But you just couldn’t stop your presence from shining through him.

I wonder what the barrier is between the level of faith they reached and where I am. Is it as simple as personality? Were their personalities more suited for that kind of display of your Spirit present in their lives than mine is? Or did they have something deeper with you that I am missing?

I have some challenges in my life. How would they have dealt with them differently than I’m dealing with them? How did Mr. Rogers handle friction among co-workers on the set of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood? I know it had to happen. Did he have a producer who handled things like that, or did he get in there directly and address it? Did he exude so much patience that it just fed the whole place? I’ve heard the phrase, “What would Jesus do?” I can’t even figure out “What would Mr. Rogers do?” I think the answers are very similar.

I guess I can try to think back on times when the disciples got crossways with each other, usually involved around egos and grasping for power. In those times, he would warn them about seeking power. Other times, he seemingly did nothing. You get the feeling reading about Judas and the way the gospels describe him that no one really liked him. They knew he was stealing (John 12:6). Jesus knew Judas was stealing. And yet Jesus seemingly didn’t address it at all. And it festered. Do things sometimes need to fester?

Father, as I go through this day, I want to exude you. I want to exude your fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I want to not use power over anyone, but simply pray, serve, persuade, and sacrifice for those around me. I want the joy I’ve found in you to be their joy too. I want them to experience the act of receiving your forgiveness and then granting it to others. I want them to deal with the log in their own eye before they feel the need to address the speck in their brother’s eye. But all of that starts with me. I have to absolutely be your presence in all of this. Live through me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 25, 2025 in Colossians, Uncategorized

 

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Colossians 2:8-10

16 Jul

8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Colossians 2:8-10

Dear God, I was listening to the Geoff Moore and the Distance song “Tell Me Again” this morning while I was getting ready for work, and it was talking about some of the Bible stories from the Old Testament that I love so much, and I got to thinking about Daniel and then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Are these the most flawlessly-portrayed Bible characters? Okay, now that I think about it, there are a lot of Bible characters for whom we don’t really get to see their weaknesses. Isaiah. Even Paul after he’s converted on the road to Damascus seems pretty perfect. But all those guys from Genesis all the way through 2 Kings are pretty flawed. But when you get into the exile and you look at Daniel and the other three and how they worshipped and loved you through difficult times, even up to the threat of death, is really impressive.

But I know that I know that I know that if I were to tell any one of those four men that I perceived them to be as good and holy of people as there are in the Bible they would roll their eyes, laugh, and tell me just how flawed they were. They weren’t even close to being who they were designed to be. I just didn’t get those stories. In some way, I just get the Facebook version of their lives. The highlights. The greatest hits. And if someone were to see my greatest hits only then it would look pretty cool too. But there is a lot of crud that fills in between those highlights. And that’s okay in the sense that I don’t have to be perfect or even better than David to be good enough for you. In fact, the more time I spent with David the last few months working with the men from Christian Men’s Life Skills the more I learned that there really wasn’t that much about him I found honorable. He lied a lot. He killed a lot. But I think what made him different is that he leaned into you in his failings. He prayed. He sang and wrote psalms/poetry. And he didn’t take shortcuts to the throne. He waited on you. Ironically, I think he had my problem in that he seemed to have a problem with confrontation. He didn’t confront Amnon when he raped Tamar. He didn’t confront Absalom when he killed Amnon. He didn’t confront Joab when he killed Abner. He just kind of let things fester and left some of the confronting (and killing) to Solomon to do later. In fact, now that I think about it, Solomon is different because he wanted peace on all sides on a macro level, but he didn’t mind confronting individuals in front of him.

All of that is to say that this passage by Paul makes it clear that Jesus was different. He wasn’t a good man. He wasn’t a good teacher. He was you incarnate. He was you in the flesh. And somehow, through this reconciliation with you through Jesus, there is this piece of my nature, the core of me, that is whole. While I’m still here in the current earth, I will make mistakes. I will hurt people. I fill frustrate you and grieve you sometimes. But I also walk with this newness about me that, the more I allow it to, exudes your fruit. On a scale of 1-10, I might be a 3, but at least tomorrow I have a chance to be a 3.0001. Just a little more every day.

Father, thank you that you love me through all of this. Thank you that I can be sure that Daniel et. al. were just as flawed as I am. They had amazing faith in their best moments, but I am sure they also had their moments like Elijah where they were calling down fire and being powerful in your name in one moment and then hiding in caves from the king in the next. As a flawed man, I am in good company. Thank you for Jesus. Now, help me to take the mercy you have for me and give it generously to those around me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 16, 2025 in Colossians

 

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Colossians 1:24-26

25 Apr

24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. 25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. 26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

Colossians 1:24-26

Dear God, I was given an amazing blessing yesterday. A family came and asked me to officiate their mother’s funeral. I didn’t have a close relationship with the family, but the interactions I had with their mother were meaningful, to her and to me. On a basic level, she was a donor for our nonprofit. But I could tell that our work really meant something to her. And the really sweet thing is that she and her sister-in-law, each of whom had married brothers so were only connected through the men they married, expressed so much love for each other through donations they would make to our clinic in each other’s honor. I loved being part of their relationship with each other in that way.

I mention all of this because I cried when I told my wife about it because they said something that really struck me. They said they were praying about who to get to speak at the funeral and they felt like you gave them my name. Even now, as I type this, tears come to my eyes on this. The idea that you are there, you know me, and you wanted me for this is awesome. Amazing. AMAZING! I sit here day after day, and I believe you are here. I pray to you. I read about you. I hear others talk about you and seek out sermons and podcasts that might teach me something about you. I talk with friends and my wife about you. I write about you. But sometimes it can feel more like a philosophy I’m following more than the actual God of the universe. But then I have a moment like that where a family tells me you gave them my name and…well, it brings me to tears. You really do know me.

I guess all of this relates to this passage because I am one of those Gentiles you are living in. Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, I am humbled and amazed. I am grateful. I need you living in me. And not for my fire insurance. The truth is, at this point, I would follow you to hell if it meant serving you is wrong because you are my gracious God and I am all in for you. Show me how to take this “secret” Paul mentions here to others. Help me to internalize it, breathe it, and share it. Bring your love for others into the world in this way as well. I love you, Father. Thank you for knowing me and loving me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 25, 2025 in Colossians

 

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Colossians 2:4,8

24 Nov

4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 

8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

Colossians 2:4,8

Dear God, I took these two verses and put them together because they are actually the same thought, but separated by some exposition in verses 5-7.

It is so easy to be deceived by well-crafted arguments. And I’m not immune to it. I think my problem is that if I am going to hold to a theological or philosophical position, I want to know my why. Why do I believe this or that. If asked to defend it, what is my why?

For example, I know many, many young people who are living together now with either zero plans of marriage or with the philosophy that it is better to test drive the person before they buy. Well, that is a pretty simple argument that on the surface makes a lot of sense. And although my wife and I did not officially live together before we were married, we certainly blurred those lines beforehand. Either she would stay at my place sometimes, or I would stay with her. But even that wasn’t comingling our complete lives until we had the commitment of marriage. But now if I have some young friends who are talking to me about not wanting to get married because it’s too big of a commitment, and I can intuitively see the problem with that philosophy, do I have enough understanding of my own opinion or your opinion on the topic to make an articulate argument.

Here is a list of things that many churches right now are struggling through that are difficult because, I believe, they have the belief without knowing their why besides simply answering, “Because God said so.”

  • LGBTQ+ issues
  • Premarital sex
  • Living together before marriage
  • Women as senior pastors or in leadership at all
  • Immigration
  • Any number of denominational issues

I have varying opinions on all of these things, with some more conservative and some more liberal, but do I know my why? Do I know how to articulate and argue either against the empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense of the world or against a dogma that has been handed down through the church for millennia that may or may not be of you?

Father, I need your Holy Spirit to whisper in my ear. I need your wisdom. I need to make space for quiet. And I also want to know when to be firm in my stance and when to understand that I am just a source of your love and it is your Holy Spirit’s job to convict when it’s time to convict. So give me your wisdom. Give me your insight. And then flow through me in all of my relationships so that those you are calling will find you through my life.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 24, 2024 in Colossians

 

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Colossians 1:25-27

07 Sep

25 God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. 26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

Colossians 1:25-27

Dear God, Jesus lives in me. This gives me assurance of sharing his glory. That’s the secret, according to Paul. That’s the secret to share with people. Everyone, everywhere.

I had a couple of interesting exchanges with two different people yesterday. One was with a woman I greatly respect and admire. The conversation rolled around to the Olympics and the little sketch that was done at the opening ceremony seemingly mocking the Leonardo DaVinci’s representation of the Last Supper, with drag queens playing the roles of Jesus and the disciples. I told her I was disappointed in the global church’s response to them. It was outrage and disdain. “How dare they?!?” But I don’t think that is how Jesus would have reacted. Basically, they were inviting a Christian response into their lives. They were hoping for outrage and disdain, and that is what they got. But what if we had taken that opportunity to say, “What a great reminder that was of what Jesus was doing the night before he gave everything for all of us, including the wonderful people in that sketch! I hope they will know that he is God and the peace they are looking for.” How might those words have touched one of them.

The other conversation is with a friend who is an atheist. I suggested he read the book I’ve talked a lot about over the last few months, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, by A.J. Jacobs. He emailed me yesterday to say he finished it. He came to a lot of the same conclusions I came to with the exception of believing in you. Maybe one day you can introduce yourself to him through me or someone else. Maybe you’ve planted a seed that will fester. Or maybe nothing will change. It certainly won’t change how much I love and care about this friend.

Father, help me to share your Good News today. I know I’ll be having dinner with some people I don’t know well, and I believe most or all of them worship you and love you. But I still want to be who you want me to be for them. I also want them to be what you want them to be for me. I am sure I have much to learn from them. From what I can tell, they are good people. So with everything I do today, help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and love my neighbor as myself. For your glory, oh Lord, not mine.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 7, 2024 in Colossians

 

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Luke 12:4-5

09 Aug

4 “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.

Luke 12:4-5

Dear God, I am always puzzled when Christians complain about persecution–especially American Christians who truly have no idea what real persecution is. Jesus never once says we will be saved from persecution. In fact, all of his closest disciples except Judas (suicide) and John were martyred for their faith, and even John was persecuted and exiled. I think I’ve read that even Matthias, Peter’s replacement for Judas, was eventually martyred. So why do we think we should be any different?

The question is, how should I meet this persecution? I think it’s with love. Always with love. And that has been hard for me at times. Not that I’ve been persecuted for my faith. I haven’t. I live in an area that culturally rewards faith. But when I’ve been wronged or attacked for a controversial position I hold or from conflicts I’ve had with others based on my own principles versus their principles, I haven’t always responded with love. I’ve been judgmental, not curious. I’ve been disparaging of them. I’m sorry. Give me awareness when I’m doing this and fill me with compassion for them.

But back to Christian persecution, in my area I can’t help but wonder if it isn’t Christians who are doing their own share of persecuting others. Canceling people. Protesting. Shaming. I even go back to the opening ceremony of the Olympics and the representation of the Feast of Dionysus and/or The Last Supper they displayed. If it was, indeed, The Last Summer, what would the world have thought if the church had said, “While it possibly might have been intended to offend or mock, it is just another reminder to us of our Lord’s last meal with his disciples, how he prayed for all of us to be one as he and the Father are one, and then gave everything for us the next day. I hope that anyone involved with that knows how much God loves them and did everything for them.”

Father, I’m going to go back to Paul’s words in Acts 20:24: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” That’s it and that’s all. My life is worth nothing to me. Help me to finish this race well regardless of the consequences for myself.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 9, 2024 in Colossians

 

Colossians 2:20-23

08 Aug

20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

Colossians 2:20-23

Dear God, how have I missed this passage? I mean, I know I’ve read it. I know I’ve journaled on it. But I was at a worship service last night led by a group of young adults in their late teens and early twenties, and I read this while they were referencing a passage earlier in this chapter. It really struck me. Paul was quite provocative in what he taught!

Speaking of the worship service, what a delight! It was so refreshing to see a group of young people who are young and even somewhat immature in their faith (That’s not a criticism of their faith. In many ways, I’m still immature in my faith too. I’m sure you really shake your head at me sometimes.) just standing up there, loving you, and encouraging others to join them in loving you and getting to know you. I prayed for them while they were up there. I prayed for their lives. And I pray that again this morning. Protect their faith. Nurture it. It is burning hot right now, and I know that when things burn hot they can also burn out. I don’t want that for them. Protect them as you form them. Nurture them. Love them. Raise up people in their lives who will be your words, your comfort, and your peace. They reminded me so much of myself at that age except all of them were musically talented and I was not. I was there because I knew one of the young men from when he was a little boy. I know that his faith developed in a real and earnest way. It wasn’t a faith his parents forced on him, although his parents are Godly people. No, it is his faith that came about apart from them and it is wonderful to see. Oh, how I pictured you smiling down on them last night. What a delight! I think I said that already, but it’s still true. In fact, I’ll say it again. What a delight!

But back to this passage. The deception Paul reveals in verse 23 seems like something that is worth really simmering on: “These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.” Then he goes on at the beginning of chapter three to basically say that we need to identify the “evil desires” and determine to eliminate them from our lives, even though that process in itself might be imperfect. That what Jesus was for. But piety for piety’s sake will accomplish nothing.

Father, I want to continue to stew on this passage. Especially verse 23: “These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.” I want to major in the majors today, Father. I want to do things that are truly about conquering my evil desires. To paraphrase Paul in Colossians 3:5, I want to put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within me. I want to have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. I don’t want to be greedy or an idolater. I don’t want to worship things of this world including political power, money, influence, safety or adulation of others. I just want to be part of your plan. I want to worship you. I want to love you and know you. I want to be formed by you and brought to peace through being as close to you as possible. And I want to love everyone around me as best as I can including my wife, my children, my extended family, my coworkers, my friends, and then everyone else I encounter. Show me how to love. And one quick prayer for the special person we encountered yesterday at our clinic. Be with them in this moment right now. Free them, in Jesus, from their demons. Bring them to a safe place in you. Help them to be healed. Heal them. Supernaturally. Through the earthly tools we helped them get to. Keep them safe. Bring them peace. Bring their family peace.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 8, 2024 in Colossians

 

Colossians 2:8-15

16 Jul

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; 11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

Colossians 2:8-15

Dear God, when I read this passage this morning, my first thought was to beware of people that come along with theologies and teachings that are contrary to what I was taught about you all of my life. Some people call it deconstruction. Beware of deconstruction. But then I read it more closely and realized that I think Paul is actually saying quite the opposite. I think the people of whom he is telling the Colossians to beware is the people who will teach Judaism the way Judaism had been taught for a long time at that point.

But the truth is, I don’t know exactly what Paul is talking about. I went back and read the verses before. They didn’t give me much insight. No, Paul could very well be talking about deconstruction and its dangers. I guess this is where I am right now. I’m trying to know you more and more. I’m trying to cut through the layers of tradition that have been handed down (e.g. rapture theology and tribulation) and see what exactly it is you have for me. What I’m finding, the digger I deep, is that it actually gets really simple. My job as a lay Christian living in the world is to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then love my neighbor as myself. You haven’t asked me to understand how the four rivers flowing out of Eden formed the societies of the Bible. You haven’t asked me to understand how the earth was created and I ended up sitting here this morning. You haven’t asked me to understand how this all ends. What you asked me to do is love you, love others, and then follow your precepts so that I might live a life full of your fruit. Pretty simple.

Father, help me to do those things today. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to love everyone who comes across my path. Help me to love sacrificially. Help me to love in a way that draws people to you. And help me to encourage others to do the same.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 16, 2024 in Colossians

 

Colossians 2:8-14

06 Jul

The above image is called “Sacrament” by Richard Gaston and is from Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups, written and compiled by Ned Bustard.

8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2:8-14

Dear God, verse 8 really cuts me to the quick. I listen to a lot of things. I think a lot of thoughts that I think are high-sounding, but are likely nonsense. The truth is, I am dead because of my sin. I still have it in me. I am so sorry. But somehow you canceled the record of the charges against me. It reminds me of what I prayed a year ago about the “thank you/f*** you” scene from Ted Lasso, when Ted has a conversation with his mom and thanks for the good things she did for him, but blasts her for the negative. I thought about making my own set of lists for people in my life when I felt your Holy Spirit remind me that you have a similar list for me and I am adding to both sides of it every day. The good news is that you cannot see the f*** you list for me through Jesus’s blood, so if you can have that much grace for me how much more can I have for those who have offended me? Oh, thank you for forgiving me. I am here right now to repent and tell you I am sorry. I truly am.

As for why I picked this today, I am fascinated by this image. I decided when I sat down to thumb through Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups by Ned Bustard and see if anything struck me. I saw this seemingly simple image called “Sacrament” by Richard Gaston and it caught my eye. What could it mean?

Like most title of poems, which serve as a cypher to break the code of the imagery of a poem, I think the title here is the key for understanding what Mr. Gaston was showing: the body and the blood. The bread and the wine. Jesus sacrifice for me. In the Catholic church there are seven sacraments (baptism, confirmation, eucharist, penance and reconciliation, anointing of the sick, holy orders, and matrimony), but no one can do them all. Two are mutually exclusive: holy orders and matrimony. As a non-Catholic going to a Catholic church with my wife, the only ones available to me are baptism, anointing of the sick, and matrimony. But for Catholics, the base foundational one after one is baptized–even before someone is confirmed–is the eucharist. Submitting to and taking in the sacrifice you made of your body and blood are the whole reason for every mass. Everything else is just there to support that one sacrament.

Here is what Bustard says about this image:

In this passage Paul sues the Greek words eucharistia (meaning “thanksgiving,” from which comes the word “eucharist”) and baptismo (meaning “I wash,” which was used in Jewish texts for ritual purification washings). During his earthly ministry Jesus instituted baptism–replacing the gender-based covenantal membership rite of circumcision–and the Eucharist. In this print either of these two sacraments seem to appear. The artist is either depicting the Spirit descending on the water, the minister raising his hands over the wine in consecration, or both.

I was tracking with Bustard until his last description. I didn’t see the minister raising his hands over the wine. I saw Jesus as the figure as the “body” and the cup, which he is standing in, as representing the blood. I can see where he might get the Holy Spirit coming down to the water, but I don’t see the minister raising his hands. I see Jesus. But I could be wrong. I’m likely wrong.

Father, I come to you this morning grateful for the sacrifice you made. I would like to think it’s a weird plan until I try to think of how else you should have done it. No, I have no problems with you or your plan at all. I am a small-minded fool. I was nowhere when you laid the foundations of the earth. My life is so little and so small. I’m just here to worship, bow down, and say that you’re my God.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 6, 2024 in Colossians, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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Colossians 3:12-17

10 Jun

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in , harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:12-17

Dear God, I like the idea of clothing myself in “tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” I don’t always do it, but I like the idea of it. I like the idea of allowing for the faults of others, forgiving anyone who offends me, clothing myself in love, and allowing myself to be bout to others in harmony. I don’t always do it, but I like the idea of it. I like the idea of letting Jesus’s peace rule in my heart, living in peace with others, and always being thankful. I don’t always do it, but I like the idea of it.

So what keeps me from doing these things? Simply put, I think it almost always comes back to the soil of my heart and what I give the Holy Spirit to work with. Do I allow thorns to grow? Do I allow the cares of this world to distract me? What does it take to get me on my knees in front of you? Do I do it on my own, or does it take some sort of stress or tragedy to do it?

Forgiveness seems to be a theme of the last week for me. I’ve come across it in a few different places. A big one was the Bible Project podcast about it from the Lord’s Prayer, and specifically the part about forgiving others as you forgive me. Now, here it is again. It’s important to Paul as well. He knows I need forgiveness to be a part of my nature. The interesting thing to consider is that you need it to be part of your nature as well. It’s not only healthy for me to forgive, but it’s healthy for you to forgive me. Such a weird thing to consider!

Father, help me to love with your love, forgive with your forgiveness, serve others with your strength, and teach others as you teach me. Teach me through the people around me. Show me where I am wrong and doing harm. Show me what I’m doing well and need to lean into. Use my little life for your glory so that others might glorify you through the life I live. And help me to just know you better.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 10, 2024 in Colossians

 

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