“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.” Colossians 3:16

It’s hard to find it in a world filled with lies, but you were meant to live in truth. The message of Christ: that God truly loves you, hasn’t forgotten about you, doesn’t count your sins against you, and has made a way for a relationship with you, thanks to the cross, is the truest thing about you and those who are in Christ. 

You were also meant to advance the kingdom of God in a dying, broken world, desperate for it. Yes you. God has chosen you to be a vehicle of His love and grace to the world. 

Back in the day, even before Jesus came, they used songs and poems to pass on the truth of how God had pursued and rescued them. It is still a great way to remember the truth about who you are and who God is. It is also a great way to give thanks back to God. 

I challenge you to write a poem or even a song thanking God for who He is and What He has done for you. There are plenty of Psalms to help you get started. 

“And let the peace of Christ be ruling in your hearts, as it was the purpose of God for you to be one body; and give praise to God at all times. Colossians 3:15 BBE

Our world is more divided than it has ever been. More and more people are on opposite sides of different issues ranging from political to social to personal to religious, many hating each other and some even turning violent towards each other.

But God calls us to peace, specifically in our hearts. Why the heart? It is the epicenter of all our passions and emotions and can easily be led down many different paths. Many people and organizations and movements will entice you to be on their side or even demand that you choose a side. Many of them are justified in their stances and are worthy causes. While I’m not going to tell you which side necessarily to choose on certain issues, I am going to tell you what the Bible warns us against here – let the Peace of Christ be the main thing you are passionate about!

The peace of Christ must rule over any social issue, any political argument, any sports team, or any civil dispute. The enemy wants to divide us with those things but God’s purpose for us is to be united under Christ as one body.

Spend some time in prayer asking the Lord if there is anything you have made more important than Him. Confess and repent of anything that comes up. Consecrate your passions to Him. Ask Him to help His peace rule in your hearts over anything else.

Take a ride on the Peace Train!

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14

Unfortunately, the word ‘love’ has become very cheap and diluted in our world today. We even have an entire day forcing people to ‘love’. The phrase, ‘God loves you’ has become so stripped of its meaning and power that it has produced the opposite effect. Some people think it’s a joke, others translate it from the person speaking it as, “I’m better than you” and feel pitied like they are the scum of the earth. 

But in the context of Jesus coming into our world, taking off “His God clothes”, and coming into our mess, love begins to come into focus. Then when Jesus endured the shame, heartache, brutality, and loneliness of the cross, real love was once and for all clearly defined. That kind of love holds the gravity and the power to bring people out of the darkness and binds all things together. This is the kind of love that you should clothe yourselves with.

When you say the phrase, “God loves you,” what does that mean to you? Maybe the first question you need to ask is, “Do you really believe God loves you? Really?” 

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

Maybe one of the hardest things to do is absorb someone else’s hurtful actions and forgive. There is nothing natural about that. Everything in us wants to lash back, correct, and even take revenge, but for those of us who have been called by God and are set apart, we have access to a forgiveness that is beyond our natural inclinations. 

Another translation tells us to make allowance for others’ faults. This is hard to do when you always make it about you. If you can step back for a moment and the focus off yourself you might begin to bring into focus God’s greater plan, and you can see that the person is acting out because they are broken inside. 

To recognize their brokenness is one thing; to forgive them for hurting you is another. Real forgiveness comes when you truly realize how much God has forgiven you. Anyone can say, “God has forgiven me,” but some understand it more than others. To fully grasp His forgiveness, you must have a clear understanding of the gravity of your own sin. For those who believe they are doing alright or “pretty good” think very little about God’s forgiveness. But those who are very aware of the depth of their sinfulness, to the point that God’s forgiveness seems near impossible, His mercy becomes their life line. 

To what extent do you believe God has forgiven you? To find the answer you only need to look at how quickly you forgive others. 

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12

How much time did you spend picking out what you are wearing today? How much time did you spend brushing your teeth, styling you hair, “putting you face on” as my sister used to call it? My guess is for some of you a matter of minutes; for others maybe an hour or more. 

Now, how much time did you spend getting your heart ready for the day, spending time with the Lord? This is not to make you feel guilty, but I am trying to make a point. If we were to spend half the time we spend worrying about our outward appearances on cultivating our inner life, I am convinced we would see the change we are truly longing for. 

Spend some time right now thinking of how you can clothe yourself with those things listed in the verse above. What would it look like to put on compassion? Kindness? Humility? Gentleness (which is also translated ‘quiet strength’)? And patience? Maybe even before that, think about what it means to be chosen and set apart by God. 

“So own up to your sins to one another and pray for one another. In the end, you may be healed. Your prayers are powerful when they are rooted in a righteous life.” James 5:16

There is a danger in keeping personal secrets, ones that will destroy you from the inside out. Holding on to your hidden sins will eat away at your soul, cause major damage to parts of your personality, make you shrink back in relationships, and most importantly create problems in your relationship with God. There is something about coming clean to each other and battling in prayer for each other that no only frees us from the power of the secret, but also brings us closer to the One who can heal us and make us whole again. 

Finding other believers who you can come clean to and be real in front of is one of the true joys of the Christian life. It is also vital to you finding real peace and healing. Now, I wouldn’t just confess to anyone. Make sure that other person is a believer and is walking with the Lord and is someone who you can trust. 

What’s your secret? Is there something you’ve been holding onto? Find someone today you can trust. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other. This is how you walk together in your faith.

“I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple––in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things––your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out.” 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 MSG

There are a lot of things that can consume us that are really a waste of time. Our perspective on this changes everything. If we believe this world is where it’s at, then we will strive and do everything we can to get all it has to offer. We will spend all our efforts on getting a good degree so we can get a good job, so we can buy a nice car and have a nice house, so we can one day get married, so we can have kids. That is what life is all about, right? 

But if you believe you will spend eternity in heaven with God and He will provide you with your truest desires, and even more than you’ve ever dreamed of, then you will consider this world temporary (2 Corinthians 4:18). You would live as if you were a stranger to this world (1 Peter 2:11), not consumed with the things of this world. 

If the American Dream is your biggest goal in life, then you have truly missed what God is offering not only for this life but in the life to come.

What is it that you are striving after? Does it really matter? How does it compare to heaven?

“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.” Colossians 3:15

How would you rate the level of peace in your life right now? The top two things usually keeping you from peace are anxiety and harboring bitterness or anger toward someone else. 

Anxiety is a direct result of when we take life into our own hands. God doesn’t fit into this equation. It’s all about us and it’s all up to us. The stress of not coming through consumes us and only in a last ditch effort do we turn to God. 

Nothing eats away at you soul like holding onto bitterness towards someone else. Again, this comes from a place of it being about you. Life never works well when it’s all about you. People around you suffer and ultimately you are the one who loses, as there is no room for peace. 

Peace comes from knowing the Lord, because He is peace. The best way to move toward peace is to recognize how much He has blessed your life and be thankful for it. When you do this, it becomes less about you and more about the Lord. And when it becomes more about the Lord, you gain access to a peace that is beyond our understanding. 

Spend some time reflecting on what the Lord has done for you. Give thanks back to Him for everything. Ask the Prince of Peace to rule in your heart. Let him rule.

“for we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

It is very easy to get bogged down in everyday life. Life can seem to be too hard and unfair, but for those of us who have Christ, we can cling to the reality that we are connected to Him who loves us perfectly and in whom there is peace.

To walk by sight is to let our circumstances rule us. To walk by faith means that we are trusting not in what we see around us but in the Unseen.

When we walk by faith, we can rise above our circumstances and live in the peace of knowing Him. Which are you walking in today? By faith or by sight?

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

There is a battle going on for your heart and your mind. The enemy would like nothing better than to take you out and make you ineffective. He will whisper lies to you like, “you’re not good enough” or “you are not worth anyone’s time” or “God has abandoned you”. 

The first thing you have to do is recognize that it is the enemy. The second is to resist him, and he will flee from you. He has already been defeated by Jesus on the cross. The only reason he has any power over you is because you let him. His greatest weapon is his anonymity. Unless you recognize the lies are coming from him, you will believe them as truth. God would never say those things to you.  

It’s time to stand up and resist the enemy and his schemes. Submit to God and His truth, and you will be more equipped to recognize the lies being told to you and stop them from pulling you down. 

You are good enough, because He has made you right through Jesus. You are worth God’s time, or you would not be receiving or reading these words. God says, “I will never leave you or forsake you”.

What lies are being whispered in your mind? Write them down and ask yourself, “Would God say this to me?” If not, you know what to do with it. If you’re not sure, ask a friend.