Daily Routine Makeover: Colossians 2:4-5
“4) I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5) For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.” Colossians 2:4-5
Paul took strong measures to write those in Colossae to prevent someone from coming along and deceiving or beguiling them. There are people who make sport of undermining the faith of Christians. They want to “delude” them.
Many today are college professors or school teachers. They use persuasive arguments and often appeal to fleshly appetites. Their goal is to shipwreck the faith of Christians. The list of these stumbling blocks is to long to mention. They target Christians, especially young believers. Paul did not take these enemies of the cross lightly.
Though he was physically absent and a prisoner in Rome, he was “with them in spirit.” He prayed for them and wrote to them. He did everything possible to send messengers and communicate with them. His goal was to build them up in the faith. Paul poured himself into the task of strengthening believers. (See 2 Corinthians 11:28-29) He was the ultimate Disciple Maker. He took the Great Commission seriously.
Epaphras had brought good news to Paul about the faith and love of the believers in the Colossae church. (See Colossians 1:7) He noted that they had good “discipline” in their Christian lives. (Colossians 2:5)
The Greek word for “discipline” that Paul uses in verse 5 means “to arrange things in proper order in a regular routine.” Things like prayer, reading the Word and assembling with other believers for worship, instruction and fellowship was part of their routine. They built their lives around their faith and walk with God. Acts 2:42-47 most likely became a pattern in the early church.
I remember as a young believer hearing the phrase “godly disciplines.” It was not part of the usual Christian lingo. A godly and seasoned saint shared the concept with me. He challenged me to make daily devotions, Scripture memory and meditation, prayer, fasting, tithing, witnessing and corporate worship priorities in my Christian walk. He encouraged me to make them as crucial to my regular routine as eating, drinking and sleeping. This was revolutionary to my thinking.
At the same time he warned me against legalism. He said, “Jesus didn’t die on the cross to establish a new class of Pharisees. He died to set us free, but He wants to be the central part of our daily lives. He wants us to make a daily priority of seeking Him.”
It didn’t take me long to discover that the word “Disciple” comes from the same root word as “discipline.” The connection should not be missed. The Christian life takes personal discipline. Walking in the Spirit is not a purposeless ride on a daily emotional roller coaster that flitters around like a sparrow in flight. It is not haphazard! It should have order, priority and daily structure built into it.
Look at the end result of godly discipline in verse 5; it was “stability.” The false teachers and secular philosophers of the day didn’t rock the boat of their faith. Why? Because daily godly disciplines like those mentioned above drove the roots of their faith very deep and did it very fast. These early Christians had structure, substance and foundation under their faith.
Ok, so what’s the take away from these two verses? I believe God wants us to build godly disciplines into our daily lives. He wants us to prioritize our daily routine around seeking Him. You need to work out with Jesus what that means in your daily life and schedule, but if you fail to plan these disciplines into your daily life… you plan to fail!
This text indicates that the early Christians were intentional about seeking God daily. They ordered their daily lives around biblical priorities. God wants us to do the same! Maybe you need to invite the Holy Spirit to help you undergo a “Daily Routine Makeover.” Be flexible, your routine will change over time, but set things in order for this season of your life. Purposefully take control of your schedule for the glory of God!
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
