Colossians 3:15-17 (NIV)
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Paul includes four different admonitions in this paragraph. The first is an admonition to live in peace, peace with God and peace with others. That peace springs naturally from unity. The unity of the church is not something that is “worked up” or contrived. It rises from the same source as the unity of a human body. We slice and dice the human body into its various “systems”, but even though each system does a specific task, in operation it is not separate, but is an integral part of the whole body. And the purpose of every one of our many bodily systems is to support the health and smooth function of the whole body.
In the same way, even though there are various groups and teams in the church, each with specific functions and ministries, in operation, they must not see themselves as separate or autonomous. Each of them must be integral parts of the whole body of Christ. And the purpose of each group must be the health and smooth function of the whole body.
If this is kept plainly in mind at all times, and if we allow the Holy Spirit to invite all of us into one body, then unity will be the norm, and peace will reign. Conflicts, if they exist at all, will be minimal and will quickly be resolved, and the function of the body will be maintained so that the key function of the body is accomplished.
The second admonition is to be thankful. Like all Christians, the Colossians had come to Jesus as totally lost sinners without hope. And, because of God’s great love and grace, they had been given salvation, hope, and joy. And they had been placed in God’s body as vital members of God’s Kingdom, among new brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, a huge extended family that would be alongside them for all eternity. Such realities, frequently remembered, quickly fosters an attitude of thankfulness that permeates every area of a person’s life.
The third admonition is to let the word of Christ dwell richly in them. The only way to get the words of Jesus inside of us so that they dwell in us is, of course, to read them, study them, and meditate on them until they become an active part of our lives, guiding and directing our every thought and action. When the words of Scripture and the teachings of Jesus are powerfully live in the core of a person, they tend to come out frequently in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, as well as in godly counsel given to others in the body.
The final admonition is that, as a child of God, a member of His household our every action, not just those in the church or in ministry, but every action of our lives must be done in the name of the Lord Jesus. For the Christian, there is no such things as “secular” employment or activities. Every action, even in our day-to-day jobs takes on a holy significance as we consciously work for our employer as a representative of Jesus Himself. In this way, everything we do becomes a way to glorify God, and to give him thanks.
Father, the one theme that really stands out to me in all this is that we are not to compartmentalize our lives into selected times that are sacred and devoted to You, with the rest being our own to be used however we want. We have been bought with a price and belong wholly to You. And that means that every day of our life must be lived as a succession of sacred moments. No matter what we are doing or where we are doing it, every one of those moments must be lived as completely devoted to You. Thank you, Lord, for this amazing an inspiring reality. Amen.