Instructions for 21st Century Living - Be Different and Worship

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry… also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language… Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience… And over all these virtues put on love… Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs…singing to God with gratitude in your hearts”
Colossians 3:5, 8, 12, 14, 16

There may be some who would say that Paul’s message to the Colossians has nothing to do with us, after some 2000 years we aren’t having orgies in the temple of some god we read about in Greek mythology. We – at least most of us – do not live under the brutal rule of a tyrant. We are much more civilized and self constrained, we are wiser and more tolerant. But is the world today really that different? There are some who do live under the rule of brutal tyrants. We may not be using our bodies to satisfy a Greek god or goddess – but isn’t using our bodies to satisfy the god of self just as bad or worse? If we are really more civilized, self constrained, wise and tolerant – why do we have an acknowledged law for the crime of road rage, why do children murder their parents because they don’t get their way? Why are the elderly among us disrespected and abused? No the world is not so different, the writer of Ecclesiastes says “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9 NIV). It would seem he was right. So the message Paul had for the Colossians can still be applied to our lives as Christians in the modern world. It is not easy to go against the current, swimming upstream while being enticed to take the easy way and worship the god of self. So, Paul tells us to be different and worship.

How will you be different and worship this week?

A prayer
Father – Thank you that when we accept Your Son Jesus as Lord and Savior, You offer us new clothes. Clothes that set us apart, that help us swim against the current of our world. Each day this week may Christ dwell among us richly so that we can be different and worship. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.