Colossians 3: Are You Heartily Serving God?
Verse of the Day: (V23) “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
1. Hid (V1-11)
V2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Apostle Paul’s life was hidden in Christ so that everyone who saw him actually saw Christ, and not Paul. This was only possible when Paul set his life goal and purpose on Christ alone, and never on himself or his accomplishments. No one should ever look to man, not even if he is the best preacher or Christian, as we are all sinners saved by grace. Only Christ has the solution for all our problems. To hide in Christ means we are dead to self. Our hearts, eyes, hands, etc., are Christ’s, and we live only for Christ. Our hearts are set only on the treasures in heaven, and never on earth. Let us therefore hide in Christ so that everyone around us will see Christ in us, and receive Him as their personal Saviour.
V3 “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
2. Humbleness (V12-17)
V12 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”
To truly hide in Christ means we must humble ourselves before the holy God, and acknowledge that we are nothing without Him. Many Christians fail to hide in Christ, because they are proud and refuse to forgive those who hurt or harm them. Let us therefore humble ourselves, and forgive others, even as Christ, the Son of God, humbled Himself when He died on the cross, and forgave all including those who crucified Him.
V13 “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
3. Heartily (V18-25)
V23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
Paul encouraged them that when they shared the gospel of Christ or do good works, they were not doing for man’s sake or applause, but for God’s sake and approval. He reminded them that the omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient God sees and knows all their labour of love, and one day He shall reward them. Let us therefore not be tired and weary in our service and labour for our God, but serve and do them heartily and merrily knowing that one day He shall reward us in glorious heaven because of Christ in us!
V24 “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to hide in You and heartily do Your work and will.
