I often reread passages and think about what the Spirit is saying to me. Journaling helps me capture my thoughts. I begin writing and see where my thoughts go on the subject. So, I am going to give you a glimpse into my morning journaling.
This morning, I was reading the Book of Colossians, Chapter 2, and the Book of Ephesians, Chapter 6. My focus was on the following 2 passages:
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
– Colossians 2:6-15
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
– Ephesians 6:10-17
In both passages, Paul is reminding us believers that we have received Christ Jesus and therefore should walk in Him (Colossians 2:6-7). We are to make sure we don’t allow our thinking and actions to be like the world’s because its way is empty and deceitful (Colossians 2:8). You may be thinking to yourself, well, how do I do that? The answer to that is in the Bible passage you just read. Ephesians 6:10-17 tells us how we keep the world’s thinking at bay. We must put on the full armor of God. This implies work.
Think about it…
Have you ever put on your clothes for the day by just saying what you were going to wear? No, work was involved in putting them on your body. So, it got me thinking about putting on regular clothing and all the steps involved in doing that.
When I was in college going for my master’s in special education, I had to write all the steps involved in brushing one’s teeth that I would need to teach an individual with limited cognitive abilities. Like most people, I thought to myself that this would be a relatively simple task, until I started outlining the task. It turned out there are a lot of steps and fundamentals to teach that most people take for granted. I quickly realized this would take a lot of work.
As I began to plan out my teaching process, I realized that there was a lot of groundwork that first needed to take place. For starters, I needed to ensure my student knew the vocabulary I was going to use, which could take a month before they were ready to move on. I then had to break down each step into a task. The reality is that it may take months of teaching and training before a student can become independent.
This made me think of the spiritual life. Why, as believers, don’t we take the same approach? We can’t put on the full armor of God if we don’t even know what it is or what it means, right? We need to become intimate with the Scriptures. We don’t do that by just opening our Bibles and reading. We must read and reread and meditate on His word. We need to go to church and sit under a godly pastor.
I have learned just how important it is to study my Bible daily when I am at home. Only then will God’s Word come to life in you, as it says in:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
– Hebrews 4:12
We must know our Bibles inside and out. We do not walk in Christ without truly understanding who He is and what He’s commanding us. As I write in my journal, current or even previous messages often come to mind that help my understanding. It is amazing how God gives us all the provisions to learn about Him and then uses our understanding to facilitate our bringing glory to Him.
Our God is a truly awesome God. It has only been really in the last 10-12 years that I have developed an authentic relationship with my Lord and Savior. You might be thinking, wow, that seems delayed, given that her husband is a pastor. That is true, but if I have learned anything over the years, it’s this:
You must have your own personal relationship with your Lord and Savior. Faith is a personal thing. You can’t borrow someone else’s faith, and it does not just magically occur because you go to church on a Sunday or you occasionally read a blog or the Bible.
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
– Romans 10:17
Thank You, Lord, for Your Word, for the gift of a faithful pastor, for the gift of the Holy Spirit, and most of all for Your salvific work on the Cross. Without Your grace, we are destined for a life that is filled with anxiety and hopelessness. I know that an authentic relationship with You takes time and investment on my part. Thank you for Your patience, Your mercy, and Your love.
Love in Christ,
Tammy Collins