Colossians 3:1-2 (MSG) So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.
It's interesting - I've received this verse multiple times over the past few weeks as my verse to write about for the day. I think God is trying to get my attention! Thanks for joining me as we take a deeper look.
Lord, please give us ears to hear your Word for us today. What is it that you want each of us to take away and put into practice today? How do we live today with our eyes focused on You? Amen.
A number of analogies come to mind today, as usual, but I don't think God wants me to compare His word today to something I've already experienced in my walk with Him. He keeps giving me this piece of scripture, so I really need to stop and see what else it contains.
"So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it." Wow. Okay, so I need to take a heart stand on if I'm seriously committing to honoring this New Identity I've been given in Christ. Where does my heart stand? My head get it, knows what it means to live a new life and have new actions, but does my heart follow through? Delton spoke a few weeks ago about a 10-second rule - if a "New Action" is prompted from me by the Holy Spirit, then I need to act on it in 10-seconds or chances are good that I will overthink it away. This applies to not only big things, but little things - saying hello to a neighbor, giving a word of kindness to my children when they are frustrated - loving my husband in the midst of his busy day in a way that he least expects. Sharing a blessing with a friend who is desperately searching for God in the midst of a life of tough stuff. Big AND little things.
"Pursue things over which Christ presides." So if I am ACTING like it, how will I know if my actions are of the Holy Spirit? Because they stem from the ways of Christ. What are those ways? All through the New Testament we can find explanations, but we can always also go directly to the source by watching how Jesus lived and taught. Spending some time in the Gospels and absorbing Jesus words will give me clarity.
"Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you." Oh, I'm so glad that Christ opens up my vision. If that didn't happen, I don't think I would want to simply live what I see right in front of me. It can be so....small. And sometimes it contains a great deal of hurt, frustration, confusion, and loneliness.
"Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is." When I expand my field of vision, I see so much more. I see the beauty of Creation in my natural environment. I see the love of Christ in the people around me. I find the peace of the Holy Spirit and the long-term outcome in the difficult spots.
"See things from his perspective." Keeping my head up and seeing the world in focus from His perspective opens my heart to more grace, mercy, and opportunities to BE like Christ - to live and act from my New Identity - than I ever thought possible. What can I do? How can I do it? What's really cool is that through His perspective, I don't get tired. I mean - sure - this is hard work. And yes, I need rest to continue. But I don't get weary from doing the New Actions. I get energized, excited, and hungry for more.
I think that's it - that's what He wanted me to see today - that He wants me to be hungry for MORE. MORE of Him and less of me. MORE of the person He created me to be, gifted me to be, "passioned" me to be and less of me in control with my head looking down.
I think I'm "getting it" a bit better yet again with another reading of this verse, Lord. Thank you for not ever giving up on me. Please continue to lead me on this journey. Amen
Lisa