What to Do and How to Do It

Col 3:16-17 & 23  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.....Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,  since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  NIV

Before you decide how to do something it's rather important to determine what to do. These three verses from Paul's letter to the Colossians teach us about both.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" is a good start. The word of Christ can include what we read in the Bible that Jesus Himself spoke. It can also include what was written by those whom Jesus taught, including Paul. Only when we know what our Lord and Savior and Teacher has said can we really know what we're supposed to do.

Of course it is possible to read something Jesus teaches and take it out of the context of the surrounding verses and the context of the Bible as a whole. That's why it's good to have godly pastors, teachers, and fellow Bible study and Sunday school friends, for then we can teach and when necessary admonish one another pertaining to what Christ wants us to know.

Listening to and singing songs that actually line up with the truth of Scripture can also help remind us of what what we are called  to do. For example, we're called to have gratitude. And we're called to praise God.

As we learn what God wants us to do, next we need to know how to do it. Not just the particulars of step by step how to accomplish things like caring for orphans and widows and supporting those who bring the gospel to people around the world. We also need to do what we're called to do as well as we possibly can with the help of God.

We who have been bought by Christ belong to God as adopted children in His family and members of the Body of Christ with Jesus being the Head of this Body. When we do the things God wants us to do we are doing so as those who belong to Christ.

When we therefore do things in a shoddy and haphazard way we are representing Jesus in a way that is demeaning and degrading in regards to who He is.

This segment of the letter about working with all your heart as to the Lord and not to men was addressed to slaves who had become believers in Christ. But it can apply to all Christians because all Christians have been bought by the shed blood of Christ.

I need to give this matter more of the contemplation that it deserves. I want to seek to clearly know what God wants me to do. Then I want to do those things wholeheartedly. When I'm doing things to help provide for my wife, and church, and those in need, or give encouragement to family and friends, I don't want to it halfheartedly. I want to do it with as much God given ability and perseverance that He enables me to have.

If we make good use of the Bible and good Bible teaching, we can learn how to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbor (anybody who needs help) as ourselves. Then we'll be doing what we're supposed to be doing and doing it the way we're supposed to be doing it.