"The Weekly Word"

Monday, August 4, 2025 Edition

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:4

In my life, is Christ appearing? That is a tough thing to think about. I remember the song Teresa’s prayer. I actually love the words. It first calls for Christ to be in my mind, and in everything I’m thinking. Then it asks Christ to be in the believer’s eyes, in everything they see. It goes on to ask me to listen for Christ to be in my ears and in everything I hear. Then it invites Christ to be in my mouth and in every word I speak. And finally, it asks for Christ to be in my heart, and in my loving, and for Christ to be my life, each moment that I live!

While I love the words, gosh, they make me shake now as I think about them in a closer light. Is Christ really my life: in my mind, in my mouth, in my heart, in every part of what I do and think and say and act and live? Wow! It stops me in my tracks, even scratching the thought!

We all know friends, absolutes along these lines are impossible for us as humans to grasp. They were mentioned in scripture and in songs we love not to put pressure on us, but to keep us attune to the idea we should be constantly striving to come closer to Christ, to allow Christ to guide everything we do and everything we are.

I don’t believe for one second every person who lived in biblical times had Godly intent or actions as they went about interacting with the world one hundred percent of the time. In some ways, this reality gives us an advantage to read about some of those figures, especially in the Old Testament, what with all the violence and bloodshed which took place. But let’s not forget the New Testament betrayal of Judas, the bloodshed of crucifixion by Roman soldiers, as well as the awful actions of king Saul before he became the Apostle Paul as described in the book of Acts.

Truth be told from the beginning of time in life, and even in the church, no human has possessed one hundred percent focus on God and lived completely as God would have them live. And that is not to put us down in any way, it’s just a fact. God intended it that way.

And why is that? It’s so we could keep working, keep trying, and keep striving to live more consistently with him each day. It’s so we could continue this life, this work in progress, earthly life as we prepare to appear with Christ as our verse tells us in the next in glory forever!

So, my friends, it’s perfectly fine you are not perfect! You’re not supposed to be! But don’t be okay with that. Use that thought to try and do your absolute best each day. And when you don’t, give thanks to God. He has a wonderful and marvelous grace which allows you to keep moving forward, until one day, you’ll meet him in the air!

To God be the glory

Pastor Brandon