God First

Colossians 3:12-17—As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 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.

Sometimes it is hard to remember to do everything in the name of the Lord.  After all, most of us have secular jobs where we spend most of our days doing and talking about things that seemingly have nothing to do with God.  Imagine, though, how amazing our lives could be if we put God first in all areas of our lives.  Think about the peace you could have at work and the relationships you could build with your colleagues.  This Scripture gives specific instructions for how to put God first in all areas of our lives.  So, when we forgive our boss for being short with us, when we show kindness to our assistant, or when we show humility amongst our colleagues, we put Christ first.  We are called to forgive others, even if every earthly part of our being screams at us to hold on to the grudge.  Christ fills us with His love and we ought to be vessels spilling that love onto everyone around us.  Our human nature is weak, though, and we cannot fulfill these instructions without leaning on the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength.  That is why Bible study and prayer are essential—they connect us to God so tightly that He remains at the forefront of our minds, and kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and love become more natural in our daily lives.

Today as you pray and meditate on this Scripture, cry out joyfully to the Lord and thank Him for all He has done.  Confess to Him those times and situations where your human nature has taken over and pushed Him out of first place in your life.  Consider any anger, resentment, and judgments you are holding on to.  Offer those up to God—ask Him to take those away and fill you with the spirit of forgiveness toward those people in your life.  Ask Him to forgive you for your shortcomings in putting Him first in your life.  Rededicate yourself to Him, and pray that He would fill you with the Holy Spirit that you might show compassion, kindness, and love toward others.