Continue on In Your Journaling
Since we have now officially come to the last post, I wanted to send out just a little bit of encouragement to continue on in your journal. Journaling can take many forms from blogging to writing on paper. If you are interested in doing an online journal (usually called a blog) there are many free platforms you can try out like blogger and wordpress.
Several staff members at Cornerstone do keep an updated blog or journal. To see some of those example just visit some of the links here for Rusty Hutson, Josh Agerton, Brian Johnson, Jack Fisher, Scott Fillmer, and several others. If you need any help getting started any of us would be glad to help.
Grace Be With You // Day 28
Colossians 4:14-18 (New International Version)
14 Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
16 After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. 17 Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.” 18 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
Application
This is the last day of The Alive Journal. Thank you for taking this journey with us. We hope that you have had the opportunity to see the value in journaling and will make it part of how you continue to grow in Christ.
The message that Paul sends to Archippus is the challenge that we encourage you with as this part of your journal comes to a close. “See to it that you complete the work you have received from the Lord.” Press forward in the path that He leads you on, and walk forward in obedience.
Encourage Your Hearts // Day 27
Colossians 4:7-13 (New International Version)
Final Greetings
7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our[a] circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. 9 He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) 11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. 13 I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Application
Often times, these sections of Paul’s letters can be overlooked because they don’t have any “practical application” for us and only mention names of people that often times are difficult to pronounce. However, there is much to found here in the way of encouragement. Look at how Paul lifts up his fellow workers and exhorts the Colossians in making certain they are welcoming and encouraging to those who are faithfully working towards the advancement of God’s kingdom.
Think about the day ahead. How can you live in such a way that you become an encouragement to those around you, lifting others up as you walk forward in this faith journey?
Be Wise Towards Outsiders // Day 26
Colossians 4:5-6 (New International Version)
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Application
Be wise. It would be nice if it were as simple as just saying, “Today I am going to be wise.” Once again, Paul has given us instruction in an area that requires constant diligence. What he is encouraging us to do here is to make the most of every opportunity with those people who are not believers, the ones “outside.”
This requires that we speak about and with grace to those who have not experienced the redemption found in Christ. Paul demonstrated in yesterday’s reading that he wanted to communicate clearly and boldly the Gospel. Today we are encouraged to follow his lead in that area.
Yesterday, you were encouraged to pray for boldness in proclaiming the Gospel clearly. Think about that again today as you write. That kind of prayer is what we need to be focused on every day, a continual cry for boldness and opportunities to share about the new life we have in Christ. Remember that boldness comes not in the absence of fear, but in the presence of obedience.
Whatever You Do, Work With All Your Heart // Day 24
Colossians 3:23-4:1 (New International Version)
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
Colossians 4
1 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
Application
Again, remembering that Paul is writing a letter and has not separated his thoughts by verses, it is easy to see how today fits right in line with what we read yesterday. After giving several mandates on how we are to be living and interacting in our relationships, Paul instructs us that we are to work in whatever we do for the glory of God rather than men.
Working for approval now will only gain you temporary praise. Paul is reminding us that we are living for eternity, not the glory of the here and now which is fleeting and and has no eternal value. I love how Paul bluntly states, “It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
Again, this book is about putting off the old and putting on the new. Let the words of this passage guide your thoughts as you journal. Where do you stand with this idea? Are you living for the approval of men, or are you working at whatever you do for His glory?
Rules For Christian Households // Day 23
Colossians 3:18-22 (New International Version)
Rules for Christian Households
18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
Application
This passage can cause great confusion for modern readers as we lose much in the translation, not only through language, but through time. We hear the word submit and have a difficult time as we assume that Paul is placing women at a lower standard than men. However, this is not the case. The instruction here for submission is not about equality or non-equality. It is about the role of each individual within a marriage.
Perhaps to aide in understanding this passage, we can look at Jesus Himself. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that Jesus is God. He is equal to the Father and Holy Spirit. However, Jesus’ role requires Him to submit to the Father. We can see this played out in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus says, “Not My will, but Yours be done.” Jesus could very easily have chosen not to go to the cross, but He submitted to the Father in order to bring salvation.
in the same way, submission here does not indicate inferiority, but rather a willingness of the wife in a positive way of deferring to her husband. Husband and wife are complimentary and make decisions together.
Husbands also are given a mandate here in loving their wives. In Ephesians, Paul writes that “Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church.” Christ loved the church so much that He died in order to give her life. That’s the extent to which Paul is speaking here. When husbands are loving there wives to the extent of being willing to sacrifice their life, working together is never a question. As the husband offers himself fully and sacrificially, the wife will be willing to do the same.
The principle here in both of these prescriptions, as well as with children obeying their parents and slaves obeying their earthly masters, is a call to live not for yourself but for others. Paul is calling us to live a sacrificial life that has the needs of others in mind over our own desires.
Journal today about what that looks like for you. Is your life characterized by living for your needs, or are you focused outwardly on living sacrificially. Remember, no one’s reading this but you, take some time to really evaluate how you are living.
Do It All in the Name of the Lord // Day 22
Colossians 3:15-17 (New International Version)
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 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.
Application
Wow, so much packed in to just a few verses here. Paul instructs us in verse 15 that we are to let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Then in verse 16 he says that we are to allow the Word of Christ to dwell richly in us. These are both actions that require day to day focus. It is a constant process to press out the anxiety that the world forces on us and allow the peace of Christ to rule our hearts. Equally difficult is the task of allowing the Word to live in our minds and our hearts. This requires constant attention and diligence to reading and meditating on the Scripture.
But that is exactly where we are called to be. Daily pressing in to the Word that is before us and working at the relationship with Jesus that we have entered in to. And when we focus on allowing the peace of Christ to rule our hearts and allow the word to dwell in us fully as we dedicate ourselves to the teaching we find there, verse 17 will only be a natural result. As our relationship with Jesus grows, we develop a natural desire to please Him in all that we do, recognizing that it is only through His life that we are capable of anything.
A recurring theme of Colossians and of this journal is putting off the old and putting on the new. Today, think and write about the things that are preventing you from allowing the peace of Christ to rule in your heart and allowing the Word to dwell richly there. Write out some steps to move in a different direction.
Clothe Yourselves with Compassion
Colossians 3:12-14 (New International Version)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Application
This is one of those passages that is so beautiful when read in The Message. Eugene Peterson paraphrases the passage like this:
“So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”
Wear love. Never be without it.
This is one of those passages that you and I could write about for a long time. That’s the goal today. This is a “What does this passage look like in my life” type day. The only directional help as far as journaling goes is think about what it means to put on love and wear it. Write down the thoughts that the Spirit brings to your mind when you think about wearing love, being content with second place, being quick to forgive an offense, forgiving completely…
Put to Death Your Earthly Nature // Day 20
Colossians 3:5-11 (New International Version)
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Application
The apostle just lays it write out there in this section. There is no sugar-coating or pleasantries attached. He bluntly and boldly states, “Put to death…”
The key to living out what this section is calling us to is found in verse ten. Paul implies that as we put on the new self we must be about the task of renewing ourselves in the image of the Creator. Whenever we rid ourselves of something, we must replace it with something else. If we read between the lines here, we see that as we rid ourselves of our earthly nature, we must replace it with true relationship and renewal of our spiritual nature.
Passages like these are easy to journal with. What are the things in my life that I need to put to death? And, what am I doing to renew my mind and my heart in the process of putting on the new self? (Be specific, no one is reading this but you.)
The Alive Journal 