Colossians 2:6-7
"Therefore, just as you received the Messiah Yeshua as Lord, keep living your life united with him. Remain deeply rooted in him; continue being built up in him and confirmed in your trust, the way you were taught, so that you overflow in thanksgiving."
The overflow of your heart reveals the depth of your union with the Lord.
~As believers it is easy to slip into behavior management, working diligently towards producing the image of righteousness we see in scripture. When someone cuts us off in traffic, trying to hold our tongue. When we're in a fight with our spouse, striving to remain patient and not lose our temper. When we're with our friends, minding the content of our conversation. All of these are ways we strive to portray Godly conduct, not realizing that Godly conduct isn't the goal, but the result of the goal. The true goal is that we would be intertwined with the Messiah, fully committed to him in every way. It is the difference between a tree that is painted to appear green and healthy and a tree that is plugged into a strong water source. The painted tree will appear green year-round, but never grows, and is fully dead inside. The tree plugged into the strong water source will be full of foliage in some seasons, and appear stark in others, but it is fully alive and growing more and more every day. This is what it means to be "deeply rooted" in the Messiah. As believers, our aim isn't to wrangle our behaviors, but to learn to walk by trust instead of sight. The true work isn't in exercising restraint in traffic, or guarding our tongue; the true work is submitting every aspect of our lives to the guidance of our Lord. It's putting everything on the table: our relationships, our jobs, our pleasures, and our possessions. It's the preparedness to change the course of our entire life in obedience to the Lord, even when it looks crazy to the outside world. That's why Paul says to "continue being built up in him and confirmed in your trust". The confirmation of this trust isn't in the way we conduct ourselves, it is in the way we make decisions regarding the direction of our lives. It's exercised when we obey the Lord and take the job at the company paying less, only to see the company who paid more go out of business the following week. It's being obedient when he guides us to loan money to a brother, even when it hurts, only to have the very same brother provide for us in a desperate time down the road. The exercising of our trust in the Messiah is a daily walk of being lead by the Spirit, and it is through this process that we come to know him and trust his intentions. Then, under the crushing weight of his mercy and grace, overwhelmed by his love we find a curious thing begins to happen. When someone cuts us off in traffic we don't need to hold our tongue because the overflow of our heart is no longer anger but compassion. When we're in a fight with our spouse we find a peculiar patience born of love, not effort. We suddenly find the content of our conversations begins to change, not because we changed the topic, but rather the source of our topics has changed. This is why Jesus can say "my yoke is easy and my burden is light!" When we walk by trust, the Godly conduct we have so diligently worked for becomes second nature, because it is literally our "second nature". This is the great secret of walking with Jesus! Sanctification isn't something we do, it's something that happens in us as we draw nearer to our Lord! That's why our flesh so violently opposes this process because it gets no credit for good behavior. Instead, it is the submission of our will to our King which produces the good conduct, stripping away any ounce of pride, so that none can boast, and all that remains is giving thanks for his incalculable mercy.
Todays Prayer
Father, speak to our souls today. Let us hear your voice. Show us the path, and birth in us the trust to walk it. Help us to know you more oh Lord! Draw us to you by the power of your Spirit, let us sense your presence, right now oh Lord, let us sense your presence! Finish the work in us as you have promised, send our your word to us because we know that it never returns void. Create in us a clean heart oh God, that we would see you, that we would know you, that we would trust you with our very being. Most of all let our ears be always attuned to your voice, our eyes fixed on your throne, and our hearts firmly rooted in you.