How utterly cool is it that we have the words of and about Christ so readily available?!? I mean, we can go to the store and get one, order one online, or there’s an app for that. It’s available, yet what do we do with it?

Apostle Paul said we’re supposed to let those words permeate our lives, live deep down inside, to invade our thoughts and determine our actions.

We’re to revel in the rich beauty of all that Christ is and has done for us humans.

Then, we who are believers are to use His words to teach one another, admonish one another, and train one another with the wisdom He provides. Those are some powerful words!

I don’t think God ever intended for us to use His Word to beat someone else down. He says in Romans 8:1 that for those who are in Christ, there is no condemnation. Admonish is a much different beast. If we love our spiritual siblings (and we should) we don’t want to see them wandering from the Way and we will reach out and admonish them in order to bring them back. Our motive should always be to see them living the way God died for them to live.

If you’ve had scripture used to whack you over the head, I’m sorry. It might have been done with good intent, but the follow-through was less than stellar. If you’ve used scripture to whack someone over the head, it’s time to reconsider your behavior. The only time Jesus did that sort of thing was when He cleared the temple of those gouging people needing to purchase animals for their sacrifices. Otherwise, He would love the person enough to gently point out God’s ways and let them see where they were in relation to that. The only ones Jesus condemned were those who used the scriptures to browbeat and control others – the religious leaders.

I believe that when we allow the words of and about Christ to live in us richly, we will live differently. We will be able to draw people to Him and admonish, teach, and train others as we allow them to admonish, teach, and train us. As we look again and again to those words, the Holy Spirit will do the work of changing us … and them. One less thing we are responsible for: changing others.

Coffee, Bible, Journal.