Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Naham 1-3; Colossians 2
Devotional Thought:
In this chapter Paul reveals the love that he has for this church and the people of Laodicea. If someone were to ask you to suggest the most important qualities a minister can possess, you might argue for intelligence, education, leadership ability, boldness, holiness, or speaking ability. Although all those are wonderful components, I have encouraged my preacher boys down through the year that the most necessary ingredient in the life of any minister of Jesus Christ is love for the church. I met a couple of weeks ago with a young preacher and he asked me, “What is the best advise you can give a young preacher about pastoring?” I replied, “Love your people with an unconditional love no matter what they do or say.” No one can truly serve God in the church without the motivation of genuine love. Paul’s challenge for this great church is that their hearts might be “knit together in love, and unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and the Father, and of Christ.” (vs. 2) We cannot love with this level of love by ourselves; it must be produced by our relationship with Jesus Christ. We must allow the Spirit of God to take the character of Christ and allow that reality to love the people to whom we minister. It is in Christ that is “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (vs. 3) When a person puts their faith and trust in the finished work of Christ for the salvation of their soul, that person gets all there is to get about Christ and the Holy Spirit. We are indeed complete in Christ. We need nothing from our flesh or the world around us to be completely fulfilled. It is the lie of our flesh, the world, and the devil that convinces us that we need something else from this world. At our salvation, God sees all our sins that were harmful to us, condemning of us, and destructive to us nailed to the cross of Christ and we stand completely righteous in His sight. Today I stand perfect, ready for heaven, and completely picturing a proper image of God. Because God loved me, I can love Him and I can love those to whom I minister. I don’t need anything from them, from the world, or from myself. I am complete in Christ who must become my motivation, focus, and my life. What a privilege to be called a child of God.
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to keep my eyes on you Dear Lord.
• Lord, thank you for your sufficiency. Thank you for meeting all my needs according to your riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
• Lord, please help me to love those to whom I minister with an unconditional love that reflects the love you have for me and for them.