Colossians 2:6-15

     As I was preparing to pick up a book to read underneath "My Friendly Shade," I remembered the challenge issued at our church. 

     Bro. Dustin had preached on Colossians 2:6-15 entitled, “Walk With Christ.”  He gave us six points on how to walk with Christ: passionately, deeply, solely, fully, purely, and freely.   As he paced back and forth across the pulpit it was easy to see that he was passionate about his walk with God, as we all should be.  At the end of the service he “nailed” his point across to the congregation, but he did not stop there.  He issued a challenge for everyone in attendance to continue reading  Colossians 2:6-15, each and every day, the following week in order to discover more of what these scriptures have to tell us. 

     As I remembered this challenge, I thought, “What better book to read than the Greatest Book ever written.”  I hurriedly dashed to the computer, pulled up biblegateway.com, and printed 7 different versions of Colossians 2: 6-15.  I was certainly not going to be among the few who would not be able to raise their hand next Sunday, indicating I had not read these verses every day.  Knowing our devoted, fun-loving pastors, they will put you “on the spot.” Amen!  However, I wondered, what more would I be able to get out of this scripture than what Bro. Dustin had already so talented presented? 

     I am not supposed to make “excuses for my failing,” so suffice it to say I was missing the fact that the greatest Book ever written is loaded with words of wisdom in all different kind of ways.  People have been able to take just a few verses, just a few chapters, and even just one Biblical story and write a best seller. 

     While I was reading Colossians 2: 6-15 and thumbing through the different  versions, I realized, that although, I could never write the greatest Book ever written for it has already been done, I could write a best seller. 

     Why not? There are empty book shelves everywhere just waiting for another best-seller.  Sound silly? Maybe! But haven’t you ever wanted to write a book?  Most would say, “I can’t.  I have no story to tell.”  Colossians tells us differently.    

     Think about it!  You already have the story of your past.  You know where and how you were first born.   You know what your past life has been.   If you have been born again with Christ, you know all about your second birth.  You know about true life.  Therefore, you already have the outline for the beginning and the ending. 

     Part two, of course, is the plot of the story that leads you to the ending, in which you already know the outcome.  This part can get a little tricky. 

   You will need a partner to help with the plot; someone who can direct you and keep you inspired.  What greater partner than the One you truth the most; the One who raised you to new life?  He is the One who can help you take the beginning part of the story and list all those things in your life which you do not want to tell.  Then, jointly, take that list and “nail” it, cast it away; it is buried and will not become a part of your narrative.  Only the good will remain.  After that, if you will continue sharing ideas and talking with your Partner, He will keep you focused on keeping those inherit failures out of the story.

     Next, you will need to be able to insert all the correct adjectives, pronouns, and verbs to make your book a best seller.  Remember, a best seller has to be unique, and, to be unique, it cannot be written according to human tradition.  That is “old hat.”  You must be willing to “get outside yourself,” in order to become passionate about your book.  You must yearn for the right words. You will need to research your work deeply.  Aside from your Partner, you must work solely putting aside advice that steers you off course, leaving you with a need to make excuses.  You must guard against falling back into the human pattern of thinking.  You must work with your Partner fully; absorb His thoughts and His actions.  As you take on your Partner’s thoughts you will develop purely, grow stronger, and be more determined than ever to create a plot that leads toward a happy ending; one which will not leave you ashamed of your writing.

     If you can do all of this, a best-seller is actually possible, because your eyes will be open to the potential within yourself.  You can be triumphant!

     Don’t wait! Create within yourself the best book you can write.  Colossians 2 can assist you in writing that best-seller.  With God as your partner, you can be assured it will be “nailed” down just as He “nailed your sins to the Cross.”