A Church in MotionSýnishorn

Walking in community

Colossians 3:12–15 (ESV); "Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful."

As God’s chosen people, how we live and how we walk matters. Paul outlines some of the traps and pitfalls of a life lived without Jesus in chapter 3 of his letter to the Colossian church. Here, he is calling the church to put away the ways of the old life, the old nature, and to walk in the new life that brings harmony and peace to the community. Put on, he says! The qualities that Paul is describing; kindness, compassion, humility, gentleness and patience; these are what cause our relationships and our church community to thrive and flourish, and to help make a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us.

Just as we are to walk in our relationship with Jesus, we also are called to walk in relationship with one another. This means bearing with one another, forgiving quickly, being gracious with the shortcomings of others around us. We know life is not perfect, and people are not perfect; but to walk in community means to choose to love above all else. Put on love, Paul says!

Our calling to follow Jesus is not meant to be done alone. We are called to one body, the church, and in that body we find that we all have a purpose, a function, an array of gifts to use in service to others; being a blessing to the world around us.

What does walking in the community of Christ look like for you? Are there ways that you can love people in a greater measure? Spend some time in prayer today reflecting on today’s devotional.