Colossians 3 - "Build My Life"

God is so, so good! He is such a loving, giving God! He blesses me in abundance with sermon preparation and writing. The series He gave me for February is one that enriches my love for Him. It encourages me to love with His love more than ever before. I am so blessed as I gather material, read, and prepare for the writing of the sermon. When it comes time to pull everything together and write it, the blessings flow in abundance. Yesterday was the day to write what He desired. Woo hoo! What a blessing! He put a smile in my heart and a lift in my step through the process. Wow, God! He loves me and I love Him. Our relationship is one that is different than any relationship I can have on this earth. He desires me to share His love with others and give clear direction in His Word of this. Colossians 3:12 tells us to clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. This is how God loves us and exactly how He desires us to love others. Verse fifteen directs us to live in peace with thanksgiving in our hearts. God's peace is the only way to live. When we are going through 'tough' times, His peace is there when we allow it. Some people seem to enjoy living in chaos and choose to not accept His peace. It saddens my heart to see such behavior. Life does not have to be chaotic. Instead it can be peaceful but first we must accept His peace. I know there have been many who have commented to me about my peace in the midst of all that has happened over the last few years. I am grateful for His peace. I am grateful to be in relationship where I not only hear His voice but desire to walk in obedience to it. I am grateful to know God is in control no matter what is going on. Plain and simple. I am grateful. Woo hoo, God! I wake up every morning asking God to cleanse me of anything not of Him so He can fill me to overflowing with more of Him. The desire of my heart is for people to see/hear instead of me. I know I fail sometimes but that is to be expected. He is always there to pick me up and love me back. The lyrics to a song Bing Cosby sang go along with Colossians 3.

You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between

You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium's
Liable to walk upon the scene

These attributes are ones all believers should strive for in their lives. Paul used the thinking of putting off and on clothes throughout this chapter. That would mean it would be something we should do every morning. We need to put on these attributes each day and wear them proudly. We need to start out each day asking God to cleanse us so He can fill us. As we clothe ourselves in this way, we will be blessed in abundance. As we reject our old way of life, we will live in a new way of life that is sometimes unexplainable. Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace! Thank You for the way You show Your love to me so greatly! Thank You for cleansing me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You! May You shine brightly through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today in a new, different way. May people see/hear You instead of me. Lord, I pray for my sister Linda as she is having pain to feel Your peace. I pray for my friend Darryl MacLearn and his family as they continue these 'tough' days with his parents health. May they experience Your peace in a mighty way. I pray peace over my friend with cancer and Mark and Lisa Koch as they continue the road they are on. Lord, continue to be Elizabeth's strength with her new position. I pray for guidance for the surgeon doing Will's brother's surgery today. Lord, there are so many people going through 'tough' days. I pray all will lean into You and accept Your peace. Thank You for the wonderful time You and I shared yesterday in writing the sermon for this week! Woo hoo! I so enjoy writing and delivering what You put on my heart. Thank You for my walks yesterday where You spoke to me! Thank You for pushing me to hit my step goal! Thank You for life! Lord, bless my meeting. I pray for clarity in my thinking and peace in my emotions. Thank You Jesus for being the Most Important Part of my Life! Amen.