Welcome the Word into Your Life!

Colossians 3:16, NASB

Have you ever stayed as a guest in a home where the people made you feel very unwelcome and unwanted? I have have and it is an awkward and uncomfortable feeling. The Apostle Paul states that we must welcome the Word of God to reside in our life! Let’s take a look at Colossians 3:16.

In my time of reflective study I focused on the phrase “Let the word of God dwell richly within you.” The word dwell is taken from the word “enoikeo.” The word enoikeo is a compound of the words en and oikos. The word en means in, and the word oikos is the Greek word for a house. When the two words are compounded together, they form the word enoikeo, which means to dwell in a house. This is the same Greek word used in both the New Testament literature and secular literature to signify someone who takes up permanent residency in a home. The person is so at home and contented in this new location that he has chosen to make it his permanent dwelling place for the rest of his life. 

So when Paul tells us to let the word of Christ “dwell” in us, he is exhorting us to give God’s Word such a grand, welcoming reception that it literally feels at home in us and therefore comes to take up permanent residency!

The word for “richly” literally can be translated extravagantly. This is important because it emancipates us to be able to live a life of gratitude as response to God’s character! 

A literal transliteration of this passage is as follows:

Christ is the language of God’s logic. Let this message sink into you with unlimited vocabulary, taking wisdom to its most complete conclusion. This makes your fellowship an environment of instruction in an atmosphere of music. Every lesson is a reminder, echoing in every song you sing, whether it be a psalm (Raving about God in praise and worship accompanied by musical instruments), or a hymn (a testimony song) or a song in the spirit (a new spontaneous prophetic song). Grace fuels your heart with inspired music to the Lord (The Mirror Bible, p 215). 

Lets us Make Music Together as people who allow the Word in it’s fullness and beauty to live in us. Therefore, we are not treating the Word as a renter in our hearts but rather as one who is a homeowner and has the deed of trust to our hearts! When this happens our circumstances may not have changed but our perspective does which leads to a Kingdom way of thinking!