Receiving Mode by K. Lewis
Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom…”
A portion of Colossians 3:16 was part of my morning devotional a few weeks ago, and the word “dwell” really popped out at me. I challenged myself with this question: Keacha, what is it supposed to look like to have the Word of Christ dwelling in you richly in all wisdom? The answer was amazing AND challenging, which was no surprise!
He’s God, so when He speaks, we should always be amazed. Not surprised because He is a good Father who loves being in relationship with His children, and people in relationship with one another, TALK TO ONE ANOTHER. However, we should never lose that sense of amazement that He chooses to be in relationship with us.
The answer was challenging in that good, positive, beneficial relationships ARE CHALLENGING, but OH SO WORTH IT! Right? Right!
THE ANSWER: The word of God dwelling in me richly in all wisdom means that His amazing and challenging word
Influences my life for good
Dwells in me, dwells with me, and dwells by me. Meaning, He is with me, in me, and by me all at the same time! This gives me a clear picture, in my head, of the Trinity: God the Father with me, God the Son standing by my side, and God as Holy Spirit living in me.
Inhabits me, or has His fixed residence in me. Wow! That means, He’s in it for the long-run = FOREVER, staying true to His word that He will never leave me or forsake me and that He is never very far from me.
The Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible calls the indwelling of Christ’s Word, “keeping house”. “Not as a servant who is under another’s control, but as a master who has the right to direct all under His roof. This Master provides instruction and direction, and provides “our portion of meat and strength, as well as grace and comfort.” Meaning, He is not only there to lead and guide, but also to provide, strengthen, and comfort us. He, as the Word, becomes everything we need when we need it.
I also couldn’t overlook HOW the Word is supposed to dwell in me: RICHLY in all wisdom! So, I’m not just inhabited, but richly inhabited. That speaks to me of being prosperous in wisdom, abundant in wisdom, and even full to overflowing in wisdom. Where is the lack in that? Nowhere! It can’t be found. In Him, there is only and always more than enough. Although we have been called to be “poor in spirit (Matthew 5)” we have also been ordained to be rich in wisdom.
When I look at how this verse begins: “let the word of Christ…”, I can see where people might think that this requires little to no effort or action on our part. I mean, when you let something happen to you, you just kind of sit there and receive, right? Well, yes. But, the question to ask is, how did you get in that posture of receiving? If we look at love, in order to let someone love us, we have to be in a mindset to receive, sometimes in proximity to receive, and most of the time, emotionally ready to receive before we can take on the passive role of letting love in. If we look at financial blessings, in order to let someone give to us, we must first be willing and then we have to actually hold out our hand. So, even in letting things happen to us, there is something required for us to do.
In order to “let” the word of Christ dwell in us, we must be in receiving mode which means:
in the posture of hearing and / or reading the Word
in the right mindset with the right heart motives operating in us
be willing and obedient. He will not overtake us and stomp over our freewill. Nor will He do the work of getting into receiving mode for us; we have to do that ourselves.
So I’ll end with a question we must all answer: Do you want His Word dwelling in, with, and by you, influencing your life for good as He makes His fixed residence in you as Master of the dwelling that is called by your name? If the answer is yes, then the response is simply to get into receiving mode and “let it happen.”
Your Kollider Scribe
K