DAY 51: COLOSSIANS

“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)

Dear Christian,

Live in the word of God.

What we take in, what we read, what we listen to, what we watch — they all change us. People like to say that “we’re the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” It’s not surprising then if we become more distrustful or worrisome when we give much of our attention to content that exists to make us afraid and fearful of others.

There is a much better way, and it’s what Paul lays out in Colossians 3:16. Instead of letting the world dwell in us, we are to let the word of Christ dwell in us. When that happens and we open our mouths, thanksgiving comes out. When the world dwells in us and we open our mouths, fear pours out.

By immersing ourselves in the word of God, we invite God’s wisdom, love, and grace to shape our thoughts, actions and perspectives. One way we see this play out is in our speech. Instead of words that tear down, we speak words of encouragement, kindness, and truth. 

Living in the word of God is not about isolating ourselves from the world, bur rather engaging with it through the lens of God’s truth. As we meditate on His teachings, our minds are renewed, and our hearts are filled with faith and hope.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Love,
Patsy

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Created as part of the Books of the Bible Collection where I meditate on God’s beauty and faithfulness from beginning to end for 66 days from Genesis to Revelation. Each painting will be accompanied by an envelope containing a personal reflection based on the text the painting is based on.

An 8x10 inch original watercolor painting on 100% cold pressed cotton paper, 2023.