For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. (Colossians 2:9-10 NLT) In Christ, we can do all things. Have you heard that before? Have you ever wondered how is it that the very things we are the weakest doing are the very things he is the strongest at accomplishing? The weakest areas of our lives are the points where his strength can come through time and time again. We are able to do above and beyond whatever we are 'weak' at accomplishing because of our union with him. Christ lives in us, making the fullness of all he is available within us. That isn't a truth to be taken lightly. We might not think his presence is making much difference in our lives right now, not really 'seeing' what he is doing in us or through us, but it doesn't mean his fullness isn't there. It just means he is silently and deliberately at work. We need to trust t...
So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. (James 1:21 NLT) How do we rid ourselves of the 'filth and evil' in our lives? If we want to really allow God to begin this work within us, we begin to take in his Word on a regular basis - not just as reading material, but with time to really 'digest it' and allow him to speak to us through what we are reading. The 'planting' of his Word isn't a 'top sowing' - it is a purposeful sowing of the seeds of change in prepared soil. The time we take to allow our hearts to be prepared to receive his Word - like time in praise and worship - the more we will find the soil of our hearts is prepared to receive those 'seeds' he plants. The seed that is planted is the only seed that grows - maturity takes tending. We aren't going to 'ingest' his Word in huge chunks and think that it will impac...