Colossians 3:17

Jessica Simm shares candidly about the importance of living our faith in the whole of our lives and not just at church.

Jessica Simm

I sometimes wonder how many of us (including myself) live our weekly lives in the same way we live our Sunday lives. By this I mean, how many of us leave the church on a Sunday and continue to act in the same way at our office desks, as we do from our church pews?

I will often stand in church and agree in prayer against the issues in our world and I will sit and reflect on what it is that God has called us to do and be, but in honesty, I don't always practice what I pray and seek.

I would love to sit and type about all the things that I've done on a regular basis that reflect the nature of Jesus and how I have read the commands given by God in His word and lived them out frequently and fully. However, along with my many wrongs as a sinner and my mistakes as a human being, I have neglected my place in God's plan and the way in which I should live my life in line with it.

In Colossians 3:17 it says, '"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."'

Although it is such a short verse, the message to me seems clear...do your all for God and be thankful!

I find the second part is a little tricky sometimes. I can think of many occasions where God has called me to do or say something, or sometimes give away and I have certainly not been thankful to Him for it. In those times I have failed to remember that when God has given me such opportunities, it is to glorify Him and that is a beautiful privilege.

As it is such a privilege I want to start applying this to my life and it starts when I leave through the church doors. With all my agreement needs to come action and in my seeking and searching there needs to come the solution, whether that be practical, financial, or sometimes spiritual. Most importantly I must remember to be thankful to God and in all things acknowledge Him in my words and deeds, but also to remember that all things done in the name of the Father are never wasted.

So during the mundane of the Monday to Friday and the joy of a weekend away from work, try to think of even just one way in which you can practice what is preached and put God front and center. From speaking to the quiet colleague in the workplace, or putting your pennies in the charity box at your corner shop, there are so many ways to start applying Colossians 3:17 to our lives.

I pray that whether it be slowly or swiftly that I am able to do the same.