9 Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we haven’t stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding. 10 We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; 11 by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; 12 and by giving thanks with joy to the Father. He made it so you could take part in the inheritance, in light granted to God’s holy people.
Reflection
I’ve always believed that anything worth doing is worth doing… better.
It doesn’t take much effort to become decent at something. But to truly excel—to reach a place where skill becomes second nature—takes time, discipline, and experience. And often, you don’t realize how much further you have to grow until you encounter someone who is truly great at what they do. In those moments, you step back and see the years of practice, the countless hours of preparation, and the deep well of experience that has shaped them.
Some things simply can’t be taught; they must be lived. Do something long enough, and it becomes instinctive—a part of who you are rather than just something you do. This is a kind of gift that grows in us over time.
That’s how I want my spiritual life to be: not an add-on, not a task to complete, but something so deeply woven into my being that it shapes everything about the way I am in the world.
I think about the people I’ve met who seem to live in constant connection with the Divine. They carry a quiet confidence, a peace that radiates from within. When I’m around them, I feel it—not just spiritually, but physically. My breathing slows, my shoulders relax, my mind settles. Their presence invites stillness in us.
This is the kind of presence I want to cultivate. Not a performative faith, but an embodied faith —a way of being that reflects God’s wisdom, patience, and joy.
In Colossians 1:9-12, Paul prays that we might be filled with spiritual wisdom and understanding, that our lives would bear fruit, that we would be strengthened with patience and endurance, and that we would walk in the fullness of God’s light. This is the heart of the spiritual journey: to grow in wisdom, to become ever more grounded in the Spirit, and to leave behind a legacy of love and faithfulness that ripples far beyond our own lives.
May we seek that kind of faith—not just something we do, but something we become, by God’s grace. My prayer is that God might grow this gift in your life!
by Joe Monahan
For Pondering and Prayer
Who in your life radiates a deep sense of peace and faith? What is it that you value about their way of being?
Prayer: Holy One, shape my heart and spirit so that my faith becomes just something I do, but the very essence of who I am. Fill me with wisdom, peace, patience, and joy, that my life may bear the fruit of your love. May I become a source of peace and light, a gift in the world reflecting the gift of your grace to me. Amen.
