22 September 2005 Devotion for Today "Whatever You Do" Colossians 3:15-17

22 September 2005  Devotion for Today  “Whatever You Do”  Colossians 3:15-17

 

Colossians 3:15-17 says:

15“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let 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. ¹⁷And 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.

            A Tacoma, Washington newspaper carried the story of Tattoo the bassett hound. Tattoo didn’t intend to go for a run, but when his owner shut the dog’s leash in the car door and took off with Tattoo still outside the vehicle-he had no choice. Motorcycle officer Terry Filbert noticed a passing vehicle with something dragging behind it. He commented that the poor bassett hound was “picking them up and putting them down as fast as he could.” He was rescued, but not before reaching a top speed of 25 miles per hour, falling down and rolling several times.
            There are some people who don’t allow themselves a chance to experience this peace. They have their eyes on the world and are chasing after the things of this world. They remind me of Tattoo the bassett hound.  Too many of us live our lives like Tattoo, going at a frantic pace, picking them up and putting them down as fast as we can. Peace can’t be found in activity, but in relationship, a relationship with Christ. 

            Too many times we don’t have peace because we don’t stop and remember what God has done for us. Remember that Paul is writing this letter while sitting in a dark prison cell in Rome possibly waiting to be executed. Some of us resemble the man in this story.

Without peace, we can’t be thankful.  The two are inseparable.  When we don’t have peace, we grumble and when we grumble we certainly do not have peace.  Even when the circumstances are wonderful, without peace we find something to grumble about.

The story is told of two old friends who bumped into one another on the street one day. One of them looked forlorn, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “What has the world done to you, my old friend?” The sad fellow said, “Let me tell you. Three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me $40,000.”
”That’s a pot of money!”
            But, two weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew died, and left me $85,000 free and clear.
Sounds like you’ve been blessed.
“You don’t understand. He interrupted. Last week my great aunt passed away and I inherited a quarter and a million.
Now he was really confused. Then why do you look so glum.
“This week. . ..nothing!”

            Do you have peace today?  Can you find a way to be thankful.  I have found that its important to find at least three things to be thankful about and when I do that its hard not to have peace.

            Have a blessed day!

 

 

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

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