1. SET YOUR MINDS ON THINGS ABOVE // Colossians 3.2

So many things occupy our minds as we go about our days. Our thoughts are clouded with all that needs to be done, what we don't have time to do, and what we see like a storm building in the distance preparing to break over our heads. I am reminded of Mary and Martha. Let's be honest, if the Lord Jesus was in our house, would we not be fussing over the crumbs on the counter or that sweet tea you forgot to prepare? All too often, we fall into our inner Martha focusing on earthly things.

Colossians 3.1-4 urge us to "seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." (vs. 1). Mary sought our Lord; revered our Lord with full attention. All the little scuffs and scratches on the hardwood mattered not to her, simply the glory of her Savior.

2. PUT TO DEATH WHAT IS WORLDLY IN YOU // Colossians 3.5

I could dedicate my time spent on this verse to elaborate on all that Paul says deserves the wrath of God. If you are at all familiar with any of Paul's letters, you are familiar with the type of lists to which I am referring. However, I want to draw your focus to later in the paragraph - verses 9 and 10. They challenge believers to be rid of such things "since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." In our new self, our knowledge of sin should drive us, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to shape our lifestyle into the image of Christ.

While the NIV speaks poetically of "clothing ourselves" with these qualities, the ESV undoubtedly breaks down this concept in the words "put on." In either case, the message stands that these qualities should become a part of our identity as children of God.  It is from these that true beauty and loveliness stems, and as aspiring "Colossians 3 women," these should be our clothes adorning our identity as those living in Christ.

4. BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER // Colossians 3.13a

A similar verse comes to mind when Ephesians 4.2 states, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." The third verse goes on to explain the fruit of such bearing as the "preservation of the unity of the Spirit." How hypocritical we would look as believers snapping at each other with pride and hostility! A large part of this command is to further reflect the image of God through healthy, flourishing relationships with his people.

5. FORGIVE AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU // Colossians 3.13b

I'm just going to lay out this full verse for you: "Forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." 

When I spent my first summer on staff at Camp last year, my fellow coworkers and I completely fell in love with this passage. It held so much relevance to where we were as a bunch of teenage girls living together 24/7 for a month. This verse was where, I found, we excelled. If someone clunked too loud down the stairs early in the morning and woke another up, the latter brought it up during a group "pow-wow" and humbly asked for the former to be quieter the next morning. No hostility held. No offense taken. It was beautiful to see them embody such Christ-like forgiveness. I will love those girls forever.

6. OVER ALL THESE, PUT ON LOVE WHICH BINDS THEM TOGETHER IN PERFECT UNITY // Colossians 3.14

1 Corinthians 13 lists practically all of the qualities spoken of in the previous verses in its definition of love. 

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a

Later in that passage, love is declared "the greatest of these." John tells us in his first epistle that "God is love" (1J.4.8). As image bearers of God, are we not to embody the one quality stated as equal with God? 

Some others quickly,

7. LET THE PEACE OF CHRIST RULE IN YOUR HEARTS // Colossians 3.15a 

8. BE THANKFUL // Colossians 3.15b

9. SING TO GOD WITH GRATITUDE IN YOUR HEARTS // Colossians 3.16

Whole verse - "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."

And, take this final one as a charge:

10. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO IT ALL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS // Colossians 3.17

Whole verse - " And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

xo, Alyssa

{Much thanks to the Bible Gateway for the citing of this devotion}

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