What fills your home?
What Fills Your Home?
Colossians 3:15–16
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 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.”
Three years ago, on a random Saturday morning, I decided I wanted to get into candle making. Yes, I am aware that I have ADHD. I had big dreams of a side business, but it has become a fun hobby instead. I have found some delightful scents that I enjoy sharing with our church and family. Nearly every night, we burn a candle at home. My hope is that when someone walks into our house, they are greeted by a warm, welcoming aroma.
But a candle is not the most important thing that fills a home.
Paul says to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and the word of Christ dwell in us richly. So what fills your home? Is it a place where people experience peace and grace, or tension and constant frustration?
Does Scripture make its way into everyday conversations? Do the people around you feel safe, or do they feel as if they must stay on edge? Is thankfulness heard in your home?
A candle’s scent can fill a room, but the way we speak and treat one another leaves a deeper impression. What a difference it would make if Christ’s peace ruled, his word dwelled richly among us, and thankfulness became a regular part of our lives!
Which of those needs your attention today?
Forgiving is more than forgetting!
Forgiving Is More Than Forgetting
Colossians 3:13
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
The story of Scripture is filled with forgiveness: God’s rich mercy extended to wayward Israel, rebellious kings, doubting disciples, and sinners like you and me. God forgives!
But do we actually forgive one another?
Sometimes we avoid the conversation and hope everyone forgets. We gloss over the pain while quietly holding a grudge. We say we have moved on, but save the offense to bring up the next time we need ammunition.
Paul calls us, as holy and beloved children of God, to forgive as the Lord has forgiven us. That does not mean pretending the hurt never happened. It means refusing to keep using it as a weapon. Sometimes forgiveness also requires an honest conversation, and rebuilding trust may take time.
Forgiveness is hard because we must release a debt we would rather hold. We show mercy where we believe mercy has not been earned. Why would we do that? Because we have received mercy we did not earn.
Who comes to mind as you read this? Is there something you need to release before God? Is there a conversation you need to have? Is there a hurt you keep bringing back into your home?
Do you forgive, or do you simply hope everyone forgets?
Who gets your best?
Who Gets Your Best?
Colossians 3:12–13, 17
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
“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.”
On Sunday, I pointed out that immediately after telling us how to live in response to God’s love, Paul addresses the household. I think that matters because home is often where we turn off. We drop the mask. We are no longer being watched. We feel safe with the people who know us best.
When we hear “whatever you do,” it is easy to think about life out there and forget life in here. Our family should receive our love, support, encouragement, forgiveness, and kindness. Yet often they get the worn-out, weary, overstimulated, and grouchy version of us.
Whatever you do includes what you do at home. That is why Paul gets specific about how husbands, wives, children, and fathers treat one another.
One of the toughest things Carlin has said to me is, “I wish you treated me as patiently as you treat ________.” You can fill in the blank with a church or community member. She had a point.
In your desire to live for the Lord, do not forget those closest to you. They should receive your best, not simply what is left over!
Loved. Now, Live
Loved, now Live
Colossians 3:12–13
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
On Sunday, we talked about living in a godly manner inside the home. Often, our family gets the worst version of us once we let down our guard. But as we begin this week, I want to remind us that godliness is not something Christians add to their lives to impress God. It flows from the grace and love God has already given us.
Before Paul tells us what to put on—compassion, kindness, humility, and patience—he reminds us who we are. Chosen: God has made us his own. Holy: We are set apart for his purposes. Beloved: We are deeply loved and known by him.
What we do flows from our confidence in who we are. As beloved sons and daughters of God, we live out what we have received. We show compassion because God has shown us compassion. We are kind because God has been kind to us. We forgive because we have been forgiven!
As I have said throughout this series, godliness lives from God’s approval, not for it. Secure in his love, we are free to live for the sake of others.
You are loved. In response to that love, live as Christ lived!
Loved. Now, live!
Church Word: Abiding
16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
(1 John 4:16)
When reading the Bible, we encounter words that seem to only show up in Scripture, so we must be careful to understand them.
Think about righteousness, salvation, glory, sanctification, and discipleship. These church words get thrown around all the time, but they need to be defined in order to be understood.
Today, I want to think about the word abide.
Jesus says in John 15 that we are to abide in him and, if we do, we will bear much fruit. There is also a warning about failing to abide. As a result, it seems like this concept of abiding is very important to God.
But what if I don’t know what it means?!?!?
On the surface, abide can simply mean to comply with or tolerate something, but those definitions fall short of what is meant spiritually.
When Jesus calls us to abide, he is calling us to dwell with God, remain in God, and allow God to take up residence in our lives.
Abide carries a sense of relationship and intimacy that is not found simply by being around someone.
To abide in God is to develop a deep and dependent relationship with God. It is to live with God in some ways like I live with my wife and child. In our house, each person is known, cared for, listened to, and valued. Each person spends time serving, being with, and deeply loving the others.
We are called to abide in God, which is not some theoretical concept of praying certain prayers or reading enough verses.
Abiding is developing a daily relationship with God, not checking off a weekly item on our schedule.
What God is asking of us is quite simple:
Dwell in the fact that you know and believe that I love you.
I will never stop loving you.
I will never move from the position of love toward you.
Think about it.
Meditate on it.
Wake up remembering it and go to bed resting in it.
Allow my love for you to be the source of your strength.
Be overwhelmed by just how much I love you.
I have shared this before, but it bears repeating.
I have a saying with my son that starts out:
“I am never going to stop…”
And he knows the end because it has been said so many times that it is ingrained in his brain.
He says without fail:
“Loving me.”
God says to each and every one of us:
I am never going to stop loving you.
Dwell in that!