“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Col 2:6-7)

Good morning everyone! This is the first morning for me since the state declared a shut down due to the Corona virus. I came across the above verse and felt stirred to share this as an appropriate response to all that has been happening! These are just a few thoughts that i hope will encourage you!

‘Walk in him’ (vs 6)

Its kind of funny that the apostle Paul encourages the Church to ‘walk’ in Christ (vs 7)! How can we ‘walk’ during a time of quarantine? We are told not to go out (well except on short walks for brief exercise). But here we are being told something different. To ‘walk’ isn’t a physical walking but a spiritual and mental walk. It means to think and have the attitude and mindset of Christ, even while stuck at home. It means to have our hope in Him! It means to be able to worship and praise God because our hope and destiny is an eternal one through Jesus.

Singing in prison

When the apostle Paul was put in prison for the gospel  we read that he (and Silas) were singing in the prison cell.

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25)

Paul wasn’t able to physically ‘walk’ outside. He was quarantined in the prison cell but he was still able to ‘walk in Christ’. His mindset was still set on his hope in Christ. His understanding of this fallen world was against the backdrop of our glorious eternal hope in the gospel. He wasn’t afraid of death! He wasn’t bound to the earthly prison cell. What is the worst that could happen to him? If he was put to death, that would only lead to his gain of being with Jesus in heaven… Do we have this mindset in Christ? Or are we so focused on this temporal world and the brokenness of this world that we have lost our heart and our joy?

‘Rooted and built up in Him’ (vs 6)

Paul goes on to say to the Church that they should be ‘rooted and built up in Him, and established in faith.’ Our anchor is in Him and the gospel. During this strange and unsettling season of the Corona Virus, we are as Christians to make sure we stay rooted and built up in Jesus Christ. God wants us to remain ‘established’ in our faith! That means we spend time with him in prayer and in his word. Read the epistles and see how the apostles point suffering Christians to their hope in Christ –

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in Glory.” (Col 3:2-4)

Not positive thinking but Jesus Christ

We are not to put our hope in self help during this season. We are not called to ‘positive thinking’ but to the very real and sure hope that we have in Christ. Our ‘positive thinking’ comes from the gospel that causes us to sing and rejoice even when we are in ‘prison’! 

‘Abounding in thanksgiving’ (vs 7)

I want to encourage us to practice ‘thanksgiving’ as we walk through these uncertain times. Let us be like Paul singing in the prison cell because our hope and our joy will spill over to our friends and neighbors. In the passage where Paul and Silas are singing in the prison cell it says this – ‘and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25). As believers in Jesus, we have a massive opportunity to let the world see and hear our hope and joy that is in Jesus. Let it start in your living room today… begin to thank Him for all he has done through Christ for us. Rejoice in your eternal hope in heaven. Sing because he has forgiven us all our sins!

Dance because He will return!

Be glad because Jesus soon will return and he is going to make all things new and death will be no longer (Rev 21:5). Sing to the Lord therefore and dance with all your might! I pray that this reality would grow and be established in our hearts through this season we are walking through.

I will leave you with the lyrics to a song that is in my mind at the moment that seems very fitting for the time that we are in –

“Sing a song of celebration, lift up a shout of praise For the Bridegroom will come, the glorious One And oh, we will look on His face We’ll go, to a much better place Dance with all your might, lift up your hands and clap for joy The time’s drawing near, when He will appear And oh, we’ll stand by His side A strong, pure, spotless bride We will dance on the streets that are golden The glorious bride and the great Son of Man From every tongue and tribe and nation Will join, in the song of the Lamb Sing aloud for the time of rejoicing is near The risen king, our groom, is soon to appear The wedding feast to come is now near at hand Lift up your voice proclaim the coming Lamb.”