I love the verbs in Colossians. In the portion of scripture below, there are several things we are to do:
1. KILL evil desires inside you – deaden them; deprive them of power – including inordinate affections (excessive; unrestrained; disorderly passions or desires), covetousness;worthlessness.
Have YOU killed those unrestrained or excessive passions and affections inside of you? Have you killed covetousness and cultivated gratitude instead? Have you spent your time and energies in the things of value: your relationship with the Lord, your spouse and your family and THEN extending outward to others?
2. PUT OFF your "old man" in actions – including anger, wrath, malice, filthy communications, deception, lying.
Have YOU put off the actions that belong to those without the POWER of God inside of them todo the right things? It's a choice moment by moment --
3. PUT ON the "new man" – mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forebearance – putting up with one another, forgiveness – as Christ forgave you thus you forgive others, and charity, that perfect unselfish love which is the uniting principle of completeness.
Have YOU put on – do you just make the attributes of Christ yours as a decision – putting up with others, forgiving, and demonstrating unselfish love?
4. LET – don't forbid or prevent; ALLOW the peace of God rule in your hearts and LET – don't forbid or prevent; ALLOW the Word of God to dwell in you! With wisdom, teaching and encouraging each other.
Are you doing anything that prevents the peace of God from ruling in your hearts and the Word of God from dwelling inside of you? Have you made time to saturate yourself in the Word of God and in His presence? Have you made time to walk in wisdom and encourage others?
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”(Col 3:5–17 KJV)
Challenge: Which ACTION WORDS do YOU need to work on today? KILLING things inside of you that need to die, PUTTING OFF old habits, PUTTING ON Christ's love, or ALLOWING God's peace to rule and His Word to dwell in you? JUST DO IT!
