HE IS YOUR LIFE

Colossians 3:1-17 (The Message) He Is Your Life
1-2 So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.

3-4Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

5-8And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It's because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn't long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it's all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

9-11Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

12-14So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

15-17Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It speaks to me because sometimes I don't act like I'm living for CHRIST. Take today for instance. I woke up with the attitude of defeat. I was in affect just shuffling along thinking about me and how I didn't like the way things were going...or more accurately...there are things that I want to happen in my life that aren't and I don't like that! I'm sure there is a reason but since I don't know what it is, I was basically "pouting" about it. Once you start going down that path your day gets worse instead of better. By the time I was a few hours into the day I was thinking about things that I could do to "improve" my situation. I started thinking about my "old" life and how possibly that could "improve my attitude" and maybe change the things that aren't going my way. Well, so far I have made all the right choices and remembered what verse three says...My old life is dead. I have a new life with CHRIST and I am thankful for it.

All of this shows me that as Christians we have to stay close to GOD because the devil is out there just waiting for an opportunity to try to pull you back. It seems that some things in life might always be a struggle. They may not come to the surface as often but the devil knows when to throw the temptations back at you to try to lure you in. Everyone has things that the devil tries to use against you. You just have to remind yourself that you are done with that old life. It might not be easy but don't give in too your old ways. Read the WORD and pray. If you have to, suck it up and get help. Ask others to pray for you. The important thing is...not to let the devil win.

Remember...HE is your life!!