“8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:8-14
The past several years, there has been a particularly high degree of division and stress throughout our country. Politics, covid, racial tension, public school curriculum and then some have whipped our world into a frenzy at times. The Devil is a cunning enemy who loves to make himself busy with strategies amidst chaos, confusion, and strife. Such division can be expected in a fallen world, but it is especially troubling when worldly unrest creeps into Christ’s church.
We often wonder what our response should be regarding issues in the world. Prayerfully considering wisdom to have informed godly action is important. Yet something that I believe is often wrongly considered secondary amidst the fray, is our character as we endeavor to stand in truth. A focus on the truth (or our version of it) and winning at all costs has inadvertently turned some into followers with Pharisaical hearts. We may be tempted to think we have won by slamming down the truth and yet we have crushed someone in the process. We have strained the gnat and swallowed a camel. We were focused on blocking the jab and never saw the uppercut coming.
There is a danger of over-focusing on one of God’s attributes to the detriment of another. God is a God of truth and grace. Of love and justice. Of mercy and accountability. And while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We should endeavor that the full range of God’s character be manifested in our lives as creatures created in His image. Colossians 3 reminds us to have an eternal focus, to remember that we are Heaven bound new creations with Christlike character. This new identity and vision of Heaven transforms our view of life here and now. Christ must richly fill our lives and dwell in our hearts as opposed to the endless barrage of news headlines.
The early church struggled with contention, persecution, and division. Listed in Colossians 3 is an assortment of people with varying perspectives (Jews, Gentiles, circumcised, uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, etc.) Amidst such an eclectic atmosphere, Christ’s children are instructed to respond with Christ’s character of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, love, peace, gratitude, and unity. The central truths of God and what Christ had done for this diverse family of believers reigned supreme and held the body together. Over the last few years, we have seen a lot of what Colossians tells us to rid ourselves of: anger, rage, malice, slander, and ungodly language.
In my view, one Christian author was correct in commenting on our Christian response to our cultural climate when he said, “The Biblical call to Christians to love your enemies, to bless those who persecute you, and to exhibit the fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - does not represent a set of tactics to be abandoned when times are tough, but rather a set of eternal moral principles to be applied even in the face of extreme adversity.”
I encourage you to read through the epistles, perhaps starting with a chapter like Colossians 3, and prayerfully consider the character that God envisions for those who follow Jesus. Character is no secondary issue; it is who we are as people. May Christ be glorified not only in what we stand for, but in how we stand for it.