Thoughtful Thursdays: My Verses for Mid 2018: Colossians 3

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Several months ago, I did a post with some of the Bible verses that had been especially meaningful to me in early 2018. I got a few suggestions that I should do it again, so here we have number two, the Summer 2018 edition. 😊

This year, I added memorization to my daily Bible study: I try to memorize 5 verses per week, ideally, one each day Monday through Friday. The last segment I finished was Colossians chapter three along with the beginning of chapter 4. It’s a super rich passage, full of inspiration and knowledge and all kinds of wisdom for basically every aspect of your life. I’m not going to do a sermon on the whole thing (however, if you’re an older teen or up, you should totally check out the passage for yourself 😉), but I thought I’d touch on some of the verses that have meant the most to me. 😊

Colossians 3:1-2: So, I’m a daydreamer, you guys. I spend a lot of time thinking about things that aren’t bad at all, but simply don’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. These verses, especially the “set your minds on things that are above” section, remind me that my mind should be mainly focused on the things that are of importance, things that apply to my life and will matter at the end of it. Not that I can’t daydream at all, because I often use it to give my brain a rest, but I try to limit the time I spend daydreaming or even use that time in such a way that it can be productive. For instance, if I’m working through a random story in my head—just a fun one, not one I’m actually going to write—I try to stir in some Biblical principles to brainstorm how they could be applied to specific situations. For instance, in this circumstance, how can the couple exhibit a godly relationship? In another, how can this character’s anger and violence be seen in a godly light—or, if it can’t, what are the consequences of his poor decisions? It’s always interesting to analyze the possibilities and it ensures that, even when I’m daydreaming, I’m finding a way to fix my mind on the things that have true value, the things that are above.

Seek the things that are above,

Where Christ is, seated at the right handed of God.

Colossians 3:22-24: These verses remind me to do my best in everything, but the biggest applications have been with my school and at my job. If I’m honest, I don’t always feel like giving my best effort. I mean, I love my work at the library—I really do—but there are days when I don’t feel like doing it, when the excitement just isn’t there. Yet these verses remind me that I’m not just working at my local library, I’m not just serving the community, I’m not just getting a paycheck, I’m working for Jesus, and that makes a difference in the way that I approach my work. It means that I focus on my work-related responsibilities before I search for that movie I want to watch; it means that I do my best to finish the things that have been assigned to me, even if I don’t feel like doing them, because I am serving the Lord Christ.

The same goes for my schoolwork: most days I really don’t feel like doing it. But it’s not just my professors who have given me these assignments; I believe that the path God has set my life on, at least for right now, entails me getting a two-year degree. That means that when I go in to do my schoolwork, I’m not just doing the next thing on my list; I am doing the thing that God has called me to do and that means I had better give it my all.

I’m not going to pretend that I always approach work or school with this attitude or that I’m the greatest worker and the most diligent student. However, these verses do remind me to do my best, and I am doing my best to hold onto them.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…

You are serving the Lord Christ.

Colossians 4:5-6: There are two parts to this section that really hit me: the first is walking in wisdom and making the best use of the time. Tying in to verses 22–24 of the previous chapter, this exhortation puts so much value on my time, on taking every moment and ensuring that I do the absolute best I can with it. Whether I’m having some leisure time, working, doing schoolwork, or writing, verse 5 reminds me to make sure that that activity is truly the best thing that I can do with that time and that, when it all comes down at the end of the day, there was a purpose to everything I did.

Secondly, there’s the exhortation to “let your speech be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer each person.” It’s often difficult for me to know what to say or how to say it, but this exhortation reminds me to try. To return to God when I don’t know what words to us and to pray in difficult situations that He would bless my speech, season it with His words, and guide me to the message that He would have me deliver. It also reminds me of why my speech needs to be gracious: I am Christ’s representative, therefore, even when I’m having fun and joking around, I need to be careful to choose my words wisely.

Walk in wisdom… making the best use of the time

Let your speech always be gracious.

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There is, of course, much more in this passage and I encourage you to check it out. 😉 But the overall message for me has been to use my time wisely. The focus of being made new and doing my work unto The Lord, it puts such an incredible value on the time that I have and drives me to ensure that I put my days to their best use.

What are some Bible verses you’ve enjoyed lately? Have you ever memorized some? Can’t wait to hear from you, and I will see you in the comment section!