Contemplative Bible Reading

Colossians 1:3-14 (New International Version)

3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. 7You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may 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, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Look at verses 10 through 12. Notice the three words that end in “ing.”

bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father

These are active words, active phrases. They cause me to ask myself, “am I doing more of this action this year than last? Am I growing? Am I maturing as a Christian?”

Now look back at the “ing” word in verse 9 – understanding. Am I understanding God more this year than before? Do I understand His will in my life? Do I understand what he wants me to do? Do I understand what He wants me to be?

These may be difficult questions for me to consider and difficult to answer.

God, help me with these questions. Help me to answer them in my life everyday. Help me to grow the the understanding of and living the Christian life.