It’s no secret that this has been one of the hardest, most painful seasons for many of us —loss of jobs, opportunities, routine... paired with family disagreement, conflicts, darkness and hatred that seem to lurk around every corner in our culture. It’s been a fight to stay encouraged, hasn’t it?
Why are we so often beat down, lacking joy, tempted to feel hopeless when we have access to the true source of Hope?
I believe it has something to do with what consumes us, fills us, nourishes us. I believe we respond to our circumstances out of the overflow of our lives.
As you know, I’ve spent the past year or so preaching the truths of Colossians to my own heart as I wrote the Truthfilled study (now also available for teen girls!). Colossians 3:16-17 is a familiar passage for many of us, but sometimes we can reduce it down to a reminder to have a quiet time, rather than a call to being truly consumed by the hope of redemption:
“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. 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.”
To be filled by the Word of Christ is to let the gospel direct us, steer us, and influence our every action. It iIs to be so satisfied with our hope in Jesus that there’s no room for anything lesser to inhabit or consume our lives. The original word for “dwell” means “to take up residence” --it conveys the idea of settling in, taking over...making a home. So many things try to make a home in our lives every day: Social media, headlines, heartaches, worries, and the continuous input of content coming at us. They will overtake our hearts and minds if the rooms of our lives are not fully inhabited by the Word of God.
Only when we are filled up through the Word can we overflow in true praise, wisdom, thanksgiving, and with a joyful song in our hearts. How we’re filled determines what comes out of our lives and flows from our lips. In joyous and difficult seasons alike, we invest wisely when we set our minds on things above...and let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly.
(This is the heart behind our new Mother’s Day collection this year at GraceLaced Shoppe. Head over to the collection to see the beautiful resources and gifts that help you be filled with the Word.)
Because of grace,
