Grow in Love

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Scripture: Colossians 3:12-17 (ESV)

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 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. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Devotion:

            This passage presents us with a detailed instruction as to how we are to live the Christian life. It is without equal in all the New Testament writings in its clarity and depth of instruction. So, let us examine what is said to its first hearers and what it means for today’s Christians.

            The passage begins with an exhortation to put on a long list of Christian virtues. This list is profoundly counter cultural. Mercy in today’s practice is to mean weakness. We ae taught today to be merciless, likewise the rest of these virtues are considered weaknesses to be exploited not strengths to be imitated.

            Our passage points to love as the queen of virtues. In the modern age power is to be sought above all else. We are taught to look out for ourselves at the expense of everybody else. Our culture glorifies those who have “made it” regardless of the trail of broken and hurting bodies that they leave in their wake.

            Paul had in mind a different kind of world in today’s scripture. He envisioned a world where love, and forgiveness were the common ways people related to one another. A world where peace ruled in the hearts of people. Where kindness and love for our fellow man were the standard by which lives were judged. He had in mind a world where hymns, and spiritual songs were sung with grateful heart,

            We have fallen very far from the vision Paul had for the world. It will take mass repentance to bring us back to Paul’s ideal world. All of us must draw on the power of God to restore the world to the world will be one in which the good, the true, and the beautiful are acknowledged as the supreme goods worth pursuing. Let us pray for the restoration of the world.

Prayer:

            Lord, how far have we fallen from the example of perfection you have set for our world. Help us word to bring this would into alignment of the kind of world you have in mind for us to live in. Forgive us for our failure to live according to your world. Teach us how to make a world that you desire, Give us courage to live according to your word and will. Amen.

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