I am so grateful for my family, friends, and my thoughtful blog readers. The last month has been a constant reminder of why God told us to be a family of faith – brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank you for your prayers, your words of encouragement and for sharing your own stories through this blog. Dad is safely in heaven and well again. As I type those words I can hear him laugh and say, “Now, stop foolin’ around and get busy!” Dad loved to be busy and believed that life should be lived fully. The Apostle Paul would agree. What does a worthy life look like, according to the Bible, and how can we be certain that we live that way?
Once in a while I read a verse that “says it all” and Colossians 1:10 is one of those verses. Paul wrote, “We pray this in order that you might live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” If we can live this verse, we can live a worthy life. That is the goal – these are the steps:
1. Paul said, “We pray this”. What is the “this?” If you back up a verse you read that Paul prayed the people would be filled with the the knowledge of God’s will through the wisdom and understanding the Spirit gives. Paul knew that a worthy life was a life spent accomplishing God’s will and living with the Holy Spirit’s direction. Paul prayed the people would be Spirit-led because that was the only way they would be able to live their life “worthy of the Lord and please him.” I love a verse that teaches us how to please God. At the end of your life – pleasing God will be what matters the most. I’ve often said, what will matter the most on your last day of life needs to be what matters the most right now. Today, as you go about your day and make your choices – will you constantly include the Holy Spirit so that you can please God? If you aren’t used to consulting God, all day long – “stop foolin’ around and get busy!”
2. What choices please God? Make choices that bear fruit (see Galatians 5:22-23). In other words, spend time each day investing in the lives of others so that they can know God and salvation through Jesus. And choose to learn something new about God every day. You may have been on the cradle roll of your church, attended every Sunday and Wednesday and included Bible study during the week – but you have only just begun. If you want to learn something new about God today – you will. We all learned a lot more about Dad this past month…and we were all surprised that we hadn’t known those stories before. How much more can you learn something new about God! He is infinite and He will love that you want to know him. Teach someone else something about God today as well. The Heavenly Father will love that too. When is the last time you helped someone strengthen their walk with God? If it has been longer than a week – “stop foolin’ around and get busy.”
My dad taught me how to fish, work on cars, change out light sockets, balance my checkbook, think practically, work hard and enjoy life. Whenever he was teaching me how to do something, and I got it right – he would say, “That’s the stuff!” Those words were high praise and they made me feel 10 feet tall. I will see Dad again – on the other side of this life. I want to live a life worthy of what both my “Dads” have taught me. Every day is an opportunity if we will “stop foolin’ around and get busy.”
Thank you again for praying, caring and being God’s presence in this world. There will be more people for my dad to go fishing with today – because you live your life, worthy of the Lord.
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