“Let 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.”
Colossians 3:16
Dictionary.com offers this definition for the word dwell: to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside. Therefore, when we are challenged to let the word of Christ dwell in us, it suggests an element of permanence.
Do you and I make weekend visitation with God’s Word, do we camp out in the Word occasionally, or do we allow it to dwell in us?
I love Colossians 3:16. In fact, I would call it my life verse, because God’s Word is my passion; I love to study it, to share it, and to teach it.
I credit Andrew Pudewa with making me an adverb enthusiast. Back during our days of homeschooling, his IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing) courses prompted my children to add those “dress-ups” to their writing—and as is so often the case, I learned along with them, and intentionally started to add those -ly words to my own writing, too!
Adverbs add shades of meaning that help us communicate our thoughts with specificity. We can write, “The girl sang,” but that doesn’t provide the details needed to be specific. Add an -ly word and suddenly we are communicating:
The girl sang loudly.
The girl sang poorly.
The girl sang joyfully.
The girl sang woefully.
What a difference an adverb makes!
The adverb richly adds depth to Paul’s admonition in Colossians. We are not just to allow God’s Word to dwell, but to dwell richly. It should have full access, be present in full measure. As we deliberately allow God’s Word to dwell richly in us, it begins to shape our responses. It colors our thoughts, words, attitudes, actions, and behaviors.
Will you decide today to “let the word of Christ dwell in you” this year and beyond?
In this week’s devotional video, Angela Kincade (from Cross Church) served as our guest lecturer, jumping into scripture in 2 Corinthians 11. In this passage, Paul identifies the truth in the midst of false apostles. He also helps us to understand suffering and drifting at sea, and discusses his surprising way of boasting. We hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen as Angela talks about truth, deception, runaway thoughts, and hope in suffering.
