Colossians 3:12-15 - Impacting the Culture We Live In

Today, Monday June 14 Impacting the Culture We Live In Colossians 3:12-15 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. What kind of culture or environment do you live in? What is it like in your home, in your work place or your neighborhood and community or even church? Wherever you are, there is a culture. It might be that all around you is a culture of pride, selfishness, greed, sexual immorality and impurity, which leads to anger, wrath, malice, slander, cheating, stealing, lying and deceit. (Colossians 3:5-9) Or you might be fortunate enough to live in a culture both at home and work, where there is compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness and a great sense of love toward one another. (Colossians 3:12-15) Let me ask you a question, “Which culture would you choose to live in?” I’m sure most of us would long for and choose the one where we feel accepted and genuinely loved, and also enjoy a great sense of peace and security! In these verses today, that is the environment that Paul is describing, where people have come into a relationship with Jesus Christ, have experience personal forgiveness of their sin and now have God’s agape love living in their hearts by His Holy Spirit. A pagan, godless culture is always one that is void of these wonderful things. We are facing greatest culture crisis of our lives in our beloved America today! But I want to remind you, it is not our task or responsibility to change people to think the way we think or to force our morality on them. No we can’t change people, but because we have experience the grace, mercy and love of God, we have the power to “put on” these compassionate qualities and bring the Spirit and life of Jesus into the culture that exist wherever we are, and begin to impact and greatly influence it with the love and peace of God that rules and reigns in our own hearts and lives. Today, you can be a “world changer” by your very presence! And I believe that those around you would begin to seek for the same treasure you have found in Christ Jesus! God bless!