Knowing Scripture
Paul’s letter to the Colossians is rich with insight into who Jesus is, what He has done, and how we should respond.
He wrote to encourage them to keep their eyes on Jesus, to live a life worthy of their calling, to be full of love for one another, and to…
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Colossians 3:16 ESV
Since the Church was new at this point, it didn’t have a complete, written Bible. So, when Paul told Christians to let the “word of Christ dwell” in them richly—he would have been referring to the teachings of Jesus they’d learned from Paul and others.
Because access to written Scripture was limited, this new Church needed to be encouraged and reminded to stay faithful in teaching one another. And one of the ways they did this was through praising God together and being thankful for all He had done.
We now have an incredible gift in the Bible. We have the full counsel of God from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Through God’s Word, we can know God’s plan and purposes, the story and truth of Jesus, and how we are to live as followers of Christ together. And, we can encourage one another as we study and learn Scripture together.
So, take time in your day to read God’s Word. Study its content and context. Discover God's character, plans, purposes, and love as you allow His Word to dwell in you richly. Then, try to spend time with other believers and discuss what you’ve read.
Think About What You Think About
What you tell yourself every day matters. If you believe something about your identity that isn’t true, then you will struggle to believe what God says about you.
But, when you root your identity in God and allow His Spirit to shape your life, you will begin to see yourself the way He sees you—and this will influence the way you treat people, situations, opportunities, and events around you.
So here are three ways you can guard your thoughts and declare God’s truth over your life:
1. Identify the lies you tell yourself.
Your words and actions reveal the narratives you tell yourself. To figure out if a narrative is false, ask yourself: Is this thought marked by fear, insecurity, pride, bitterness, or a lack of confidence? Is this thought leading me to cynical or self-serving behavior? If you can answer “yes” to either of those questions, then the narrative you’re telling yourself probably needs to be addressed and adjusted.
When you can identify where and when ...