I really desire God in my life. Like in every moment of my life. I know that he’s everywhere at all times, but I also know that I don’t always invite him into every moment of every day, into every thought, action, relationship, and emotion. That’s what I want: to be fully with God. Some days I feel closer to this goal than others. Some days I find myself really distracted, and contemplating everything but God. I’m not a big fan of those days.
Master of the Universe, I welcome you into this moment and this day. Forgive me for the distractions I have allowed to linger already today. Forgive me for failing to give you the honor, praise, glory, and focus that you deserve. Forgive me for not loving others as myself, and for not loving you above all else. In the truest part of me I desire to be completely yours, to be always and forever with you. But it is not always the truest part of me that wins. And for this I repent, I ask once again for your incredible grace and mercy upon me. Walk with me this day. Please open my eyes and my mind to understand your Word found in Scripture. I truly desire to know you.
So Michelle and I have decided to read through the letter that Paul wrote to the Colossians, so for the next few days I will be breaking from the LifeJournal reading plan and simply reflecting on Colossians.
Colossians 3:1-15
So if you have been raised wiht Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you ahve died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
Put to death therefore, whatever in you is earthyly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed (which is idolatry)… These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. but now you must get rid of all such things – anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcized and uncircumcized, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…
This passage comes after Paul dismisses the commonly held idea that our bodies are evil. There were teachings at the time that said everything physical was bad, and os the Christians began to think that only the spiritual was good. Paul in chapter 2 spends time demonstrating that God saved us body and soul, and in chapter 3 explains that because everything is spiritual – even our bodies – therefore there are certain physical things expected of us, there is a certain way to be, and a certain way not to be. Paul was teaching that part of being “holy”, part of being “God’s chosen people” (3:12), is about actually living physical lives that are set apart.
Paul begins this chapter by saying, if you indeed have been saved, “raised with Christ”, then we must be about different things than we use to be. If Christ has saved us, then from the beginning we must begin to think different. If the physical – what we think and do – matters, and God is about saving more than our spirits alone, we must then pursue the things that God has for us, the “things that are above.”
What then are we to do and not do? Well in 3:5 Paul tells us to eliminate “fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed” from our lives. In 3:8 Paul tells us to get rid of “anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language” and to not lie to one another. In 3:12 Paul tells us to be clothed with “compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” and to forgive one another. In 3:14 Paul says that above all, we should be clothed with love because it “binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
Why? I think the point is found in 3:3-4
for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
The point is that when we believe in Jesus, everything – our very lives – become his. All things – even the physical – somehow become identified in and through Christ Jesus. This is consistent with Paul’s teaching that our lives are not our own. There is indeed an expected way to live. There is indeed a righteous life. Our bodies are to be submitted to Jesus, and our identities will be found within him at his revelation.
God, help me to submit everything – even the physical parts of my life – to you.
Jesus, I know that my life is hidden with you,
help me to seek you to find life.