“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” – Colossians 3:16
What words dwell richly in you? The words of your favorite news channel? The words of social media? The words of politicians? The words of TV hosts? The words of writers and columnists? The words of singers, actors, or those famous for being famous? Or the word of Christ?
Your answer matters!!! The words we take in through our ears and eyes powerfully shape our thoughts and emotions. It’s almost impossible to overstate the power words have over our lives. Far too many followers of Jesus are more shaped by the words of present-day people than by the timeless words of the Son of God! Don’t be among them!!!
Fill yourself with Christ’s Word. FILL YOURSELF! Read the Bible every day (not just a devotional based on a single verse). Think carefully about what you’ve read. Ask questions of it and seek answers from RELIABLE sources. Pray through what you’ve read. Memorize Scripture. Let Christ’s Word re-shape your heart, mind, and soul.
However, there’s far more to this command than just your private intake of Christ’s Word. Let your conversation with others be filled with the truth, power, and wisdom of Christ’s Word. Fill your discussions with other believers and your advice to them with biblical content, not the latest pop-psychology ramblings or social media happenings. Christians must live in community with other Christians and the flavor of that community should be shaped by the words, songs, hymns, and psalms of Christ. Can you even begin to imagine how wonderfully different your church community would be if you (and others) lived by this command?