Today’s thought “Clothing yourselves with the right attitude” (May 16)

Today’s thought

“Clothing yourselves with the right attitude
– Not aiming at this world”

(May 16)

In yesterday’s Bible reading we could see how the apostle Paul remembered his fellow brethren and sisters in the small Phrygian city Colossia or Colossae near Laodicea, that he worked hard for them and for those in Laodicea he wanted to be strengthened and joined together with love so that they could become rich in their understanding leading to their knowing fully God’s secret, that is, Christ himself, in who are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge safely kept. (Colossians 2:1-3) for the apostle it was of great importance that the community would not have to see some one to be lead away with false and empty teaching that is only human, which comes from the ruling spirits of this world, and not from Christ. (Colossians 2:8) He warned the ecclesia that they should not have anyone making rules for them about eating and drinking or about a religious feast, a New Moon Festival, or a Sabbath day, because these things were like a shadow of what was to come. (Colossians 2:16-18)

We do know the world likes to have lots of worldly events, festivals and rituals. But we should know that since we are raised from the dead with Christ, that we should aim at what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. We should look up at him and think more about the things in heaven, than focussing on those things the world offers us or try to tempt with.

When you do know that God has chosen you and made you his holy people, you should be pleased to come under Him and to clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

¹²God has chosen you. You are holy and loved by Him. Because of this, your new life should be full of loving-pity. You should be kind to others and have no pride. Be gentle and be willing to wait for others. (Colossians 3:12 New Life Version)

When having chosen to be a Christian there is no place any more to of this world. By having given yourself to Christ you made a commitment to be united under Christ, willing to follow his and his heavenly Father’s commandments. By your baptism you have chosen to put your old sinful self aside and made an oath to live properly according to God’s Will.

Let us therefore

⁵Destroy the desires to sin that are in you. These desires are: sex sins, anything that is not clean, a desire for sex sins, and wanting something someone else has. This is worshiping a god. ⁶It is because of these sins that the anger of God comes down on those who do not obey Him. ⁷You used to do these sins when you lived that kind of life. ⁸Put out of your life these things also: anger, bad temper, bad feelings toward others, talk that hurts people, speaking against God, and dirty talk. ⁹Do not lie to each other. You have put out of your life your old ways. ¹⁰You have now become a new person and are always learning more about Christ. You are being made more like Christ. (Colossians 3:5-9 New Life Version)

By choosing for Christ we agreed to put our old self aside and showed our willingness to become a new person to the community of believers and followers of Christ. Before our baptism we were from the old man or from the first Adam. Now we saw that man being covered by the blood of the second Adam. We can see how incompatible the old and new man are.

THE OLD MAN                                                                     THE NEW MAN
That which must be taken off                                               That which must be put on
v.8                                                                                             v.12
Impurity                                                                                Compassion
Immorality                                                                             Kindness
Anger                                                                                    Lowliness
Slander                                                                                 Meekness
Evil desires                                                                             Patience
Foul talk                                                                                Forbearance
Malice                                                                                  Forgiving nature
Covetousness                                                                              Love

The final piece of clothing to be put on (which would seen by all, at all times) v.14 Agapè

¹⁴And to all these things, you must add love. Love holds everything and everybody together and makes all these good things perfect. ¹⁵Let the peace of Christ have power over your hearts. You were chosen as a part of His body. Always be thankful.

¹⁶Let the teaching of Christ and His words keep on living in you. These make your lives rich and full of wisdom. Keep on teaching and helping each other. Sing the Songs of David and the church songs and the songs of heaven with hearts full of thanks to God. ¹⁷Whatever you say or do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through the Lord Jesus. (Colossians 3:14-17 New Life Version)

Loving each other is one of the most important elements in a Christian’s life. Love is what holds us all together in perfect unity. It is the peace that Christ gives that should control our thinking and should inspire us to share our faith in him with others. The teaching of Christ, more than any teaching of other man, should live in us richly and that wisdom he preached we too should use to teach and strengthen each other. That teaching part is much too often forgotten by lots of Christians, who often think it quite enough to go no wand then to a Sunday service and to sit there passively, letting others to all the talking.

Being under Christ we should walk in wisdom, who like so many other son’s of God received God His sayings, and treasured His commands.

2 My son, if you receive my sayings and store up my teachings within you, ²make your ear open to wisdom. Turn your heart to understanding. ³If you cry out to know right from wrong, and lift your voice for understanding; ⁴if you look for her as silver, and look for her as hidden riches; ⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find what is known of God. ⁶For the Lord gives wisdom. Much learning and understanding come from His mouth. ⁷He stores up perfect wisdom for those who are right with Him. He is a safe-covering to those who are right in their walk. (Proverbs 2:1-7 New Life Version (NLV)

We too should search for wisdom as if it were money and hunt for it as if it were hidden treasure. In the knowledge that it is Jehovah God Who gives skilful and godly Wisdom and that it is from His mouth that comes knowledge and understanding, we should undertake every effort to get to know His Word better, by reading regularly His Word, given to us in the Bible. We should not let ourselves being deceived and let not worldly philosophies creep into the church, always being careful to receive and to spread sound Biblical doctrine. In our study as well as in our preaching let us always be careful for human thoughts, notes printed in study Bibles, philosophy, empty deception, tradition of men, and principles of the world.