Today we’ll continue with some of your favorites (or the passages you have questions about). Email (andy@stm-umc.org) or message me with any passages you’d like added or that you have a question about!

Today we are looking at Colossians 3: 12-17: 

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 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. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 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. 17 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.

Colossians is full of passages that have always convicted me and caused me to work towards being a more faithful follower of Jesus Christ.  Today’s passage is one such passage to me.  Growing up, I enjoyed playing sports with my friends, there wasn’t much else to do where I grew up.  We played many, many hours of basketball in whatever court we could find. 

I always loved to play, and I was always competitive.  I wanted to win. Anytime we played sports, I wanted to do whatever I could do to win, and I hated, I mean HATED to lose. Sometimes when we’d lose, I threw a fit, throwing the ball, whatever.  I hated losing, and I really showed out when I didn’t. 

One day after acting so foolish, a much more mature Christian pulled me aside and read Colossian 3:17 to me.  Whatever you, in word or deed, do everything in name of Jesus. Everything you do, do it in the name of Jesus.  And I realized that when I was acting out like that because I lost, I was not representing Jesus well. Everything I did, in word or deep, I did in the name of Jesus. 

That applied to my hobbies.  My studies.  My work. My relationships. Everything I did. I did in the name of Jesus. 

I knew that I needed to stop acting out like when I lost, for in those moments, I was not living out my faith, and I was not honoring Him.  Everything I did, I did in His name. And I knew that I was not bringing Him honor in that moment.  

That remains true today, for each of us. Everything we do today, we do in the name of Jesus. Everything. Every part of our lives, we live to Jesus, we live to Jesus.  We honor Him with every ounce of our lives, all that we do.  

Today, everything you do, in word or deed, you do it in the of Jesus.  Honor Him in your work, in your play, in your words, in what you think, in all things.  He is worthy of all our lives.  

Today, live your life fully, in the name of Jesus.  

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