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Colossians 2:6, 7 - Living In Christ.Colossians 2:6, 7 (NIV) So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.INTRODUCTION Spiritual growth begins with Christ. Receiving Christ as Lord of your life is the beginning of life with Christ. But you must continue to follow his leadership by being rooted, built up, and strengthened in the faith. Christ wants to guide you and help you with your daily problems. You can live for Christ by (1) committing your life and submitting your will to him (Romans 12:1, 2); (2) seeking to learn from him, his life, and his teachings (3:16); and (3) recognizing the Holy Spirit's power in you (Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:22). Spiritual growth continues in Christ. Paul uses the illustration of our being rooted in Christ. Just as plants draw nourishment from the soil through their roots, so we draw our life-giving strength from Christ. [Life Application SB] COMMENTARY PEARL Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness, - all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by communion with Him, daily, hourly, - by abiding in Him, - that we are to grow in grace. He is not only the Author, but the Finisher of our faith. It is Christ first and last and always. He is to be with us, not only at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way.... Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, "Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee." This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ. SC69, 70 COMMENTARY After several relocations over the years, my husband and I will move to the state where we were raised. We haven't lived there since 1982, and our children and grandchildren now live in different parts of the country. I recently mentioned to a friend that I felt as though I had no roots. "Does an adult need roots?" he asked. I silently responded: Yes, unless you want to be a tumbleweed. A tumbleweed is defined as the aboveground part of any of a number of plants that, once mature and dry, disengage from the root and tumble away in the wind. I first encountered tumbleweeds while living in Utah and something scratchy bumped into my leg. I got used to seeing these skeletal orbs blowing around or stuck in all sorts of places. One morning, I came across a giant tumbleweed blocking the sidewalk. Although it felt weightless, it was covered with sharp edges, which made it difficult to move. In the biological world, roots anchor the plant in the soil, provide necessary nourishment, and help it produce leaves, blooms, and fruit. In the spiritual world, Jesus is the only One who can do those things for me. He's the only way to have a full, bountiful life. Whenever I start to feel empty, dry, or prickly like a tumbleweed, that's a signal to check how deeply rooted I am in Him, no matter where I'm living. Dianne Neal Matthews Faith Step: List steps you want to take to stay rooted in Jesus: prayer, Bible study, praise, obedience, service, or any other ways He shows you. [Mornings With Jesus 2024 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] When we moved into our house two years ago, our backyard was a giant swath of sandy dirt. We hired landscapers to put down 3 inches of topsoil followed by emerald-green sod. I was thrilled. The grass was picture-perfect - lush and green. I loved every inch of it until the winter snow melted away and I noticed tracks of dead grass spread across my lawn. I texted a picture to my mom. She said it looked like I had voles. Voles can destroy a healthy lawn. Under the snow, these tiny meadow mice create pathways in the turf. They gnaw the grass down to the root, killing it. It is hard to love your lawn when it looks like a mini-maze for Stuart Little and his friends. I reseeded the dead patches. Because I love my lawn, I wanted to see it grow. There are areas in my life, hidden under the cover of busyness or neglect, that are dead or dying. Patches of bitterness. Tracks of envy. Trails of anger. Nothing grows there. Just as I reseeded all the dead patches in my lawn, Jesus wants to sow in these dark places of my heart. He wants to heal and restore me so I can grow. I will never be picture-perfect like my lawn, but growing in Jesus, I become more beautiful each day. Susanna Foth Aughtmon Faith Step: Sit outside and prayerfully ask Jesus to examine your heart. Are there dying areas that He needs to reseed with His love and grace? Ask Him to heal your heart and help you grow. [Mornings With Jesus 2024 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] CLOSING THOUGHT What would it look like for you to build your life upon the foundation of Christ? What could you do to set your house in order, so to speak? His wisdom is helpful for all kinds of situations. His strength is even more palpable in the weakness of humanity. Give yourself permission to grow in him imperfectly, and to take the next step without knowing what the end product will be. There are a hundred steps between planning something and the fulfillment of that thing. Have the courage to not get ahead of yourself, but to trust as you grow strong in the truth of Christ, that your faith will grow, and his grace will empower you every step of the way. Only do what you know to do today. Give your energy to today's projects and let tomorrow stay where it is - in the future. [365 Days of Courage by Sara Perry of Broadstreet Pub] LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY Colossians 2:6, 7 - Living In Christ. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230416-0941.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20221206-0835.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220226-1002.html Colossians 2:6, 7 - How To Live In Christ. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20151206-1407.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |