Friday, November 22, 2024  

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Today's Scripture
Colossians 3:15–17

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (NRSV)

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Reflection

How many of these instructions in Colossians do I need to follow in order to get an A? Will grading be done on a curve? What is the minimum standard? These seem like pretty legitimate questions — especially for those of us who identify as Type A.

The book of Colossians is a letter written by Paul while in prison. Paul was hearing things that were concerning to him about this group of Jesus followers. New converts were being pressured to follow distinctly Jewish practices — including food laws and circumcision. They were told that to earn salvation, they must follow these rules. And Paul says nope, you can’t earn it.

Christ is enough. No one needs to follow special instructions or learn particular rules. But what about this passage? There seem like a whole lot of expectations around being a Jesus follower. We might be using the wrong syllabus. Christ is enough, and also if you want to know how to comport yourself, how to make decisions, how to prioritize your life, the answer is to let the word of Christ dwell in you. Let the peace of Christ rule.

There won’t be grades given, because Jesus has eliminated the test. Live with gratitude in our hearts, sing praises, and do everything in the name of Jesus. It’s not that easy but God loves us because of God’s goodness — not ours. That’s comforting for the Type A’s and Type Z’s among us.

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Prayer
God, sometimes it would be easier to just follow some rules. However, to bring about your dream for the world, we need to let your Spirit dwell within. Let it be so. Amen.

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Written by Andrea Denney, Executive Director of Operational Ministries

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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