A week in Colossians

I have finished Matthew and moved into Colossians where I have set up camp. There are so many references to our new life in Christ in these four chapters that it simply requires more than just a couple of days for the Holy Spirit to unpack what I really need to learn here. But, the one verse that grabbed a hold of me this week is his -

3:17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

I'm not sure about you, but my mouth gets me in trouble at least daily. So verse 17 is one that I must commit to memory, hang in front of my face and be willing to submit to every time the Holy Spirit places it on my heart. Have you come across verses like this in your reading?

I wish I could say my words and my actions always represent Christ but if I am honest with myself, it is simply not the case. In any given day I worry, doubt, criticize, question, fear, get angry, you name it. I want so desperately to represent Christ yet I continue to fall short.

But, I rest in what seems to be the overarching theme of Colossians, New Life in Christ. I am open to being molded, changed and made new. I am a work in progress and each day there seems to be a little less of me and a little more of Him. As Pastor Paul put in his message on February 12th, when we come to Christ we give Him the 10% of our conscious that we are aware of and it takes being disciplined to spend time in His word, in prayer, in worship and discipleship to retrain the other 90% of ourselves that continually falls short.

Rest today in the new life that Christ has already paid for, but be willing to commit to the disciplines necessary to grow more like Him.

Aimee