Passage of the Day:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 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. 17 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, Colossians 3:12-17.
Reflection:
Becoming a devoted follower of Jesus requires the similar drive that I possessed when I sought to become a professional athlete. Even when I was doubtful, exhausted, and frustrated, I drove to the golf course daily to practice. Whether this was driving the ball, hitting consistent iron shots or working on my short game, I dragged myself out of bed to improve in some form or shape. From a Christian perspective, once you get down the basics of crucifying your old self, replaced by Jesus, you have to step up your game by demonstrating your faith. Mature Christian put aside the childish ways by allowing the love of Jesus to shine through your daily witness.
Prayerful Action:
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me, 1 Corinthians 13:11.
Fueling your Faith this Spiritual Season:
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called people in this crowd to love and pray for their enemies, Matthew 5:43-48. The apostle Paul goes into greater details of how God wants modern-day Christians to demonstrate faith in Colossians 3. Regardless of how many people get under your skin and provoke you, bear with one another and forgive them as Christ forgave you. Since this doesn’t occur naturally, you may have to dwell on and hum spiritual songs to prevent you from lashing out. The more you meditate on and reflect upon the words of the Bible, you will be well on your way to demonstrating faith.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
There are times in life when the individuals in your spheres of life will be void of love. Today’s song serves as a prayer so that regardless of the environment that you find yourself, you will demonstrate faith by letting Jesus’ love shine through you.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 