16 The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.
Reflection
You can tell a lot about a person by the way they talk.
I think anyone listening to me for more than five minutes knows I come from some kind of technical background. That’s just the language I speak.
Musicians speak in terms of rhythm and harmony. Writers speak in metaphors and word pictures. Artists and architects speak in terms of textures and colors.
We begin to adopt the words of the worlds we inhabit.
When the Bible says, “The word of Christ must live in you richly,” the intent is that the language of scripture becomes part of our everyday vocabulary. When we read it faithfully – singing, praying, and meditating on it, the Word begins to infuse our spirits with the message of love and grace that is at the heart of the gospel of Jesus. And when we shape the words that rattle around inside us, it starts to make a difference in the way other people see us, too.
Now, that’s not to say that you need to have a scripture quote to answer everything. There are already far too many people who get excited about every opportunity to bludgeon those around them with the Bible. But it does mean that what we infuse into our souls will eventually seep out into the world around us.
When the language of scripture becomes our heart-language, when we can see our story reflected in the stories of those in the Bible, then we know that the Word of Christ is dwelling richly in us!
by Joe Monahan
For Pondering & Prayer
When you read scripture, is it more like speaking a foreign language, or talking to an old friend? Is that true of some portions of the Bible more than others? What parts do you need to learn more about? How might you do that?
Prayer: Thank you for the gift of your Word. Let the words of scripture dwell in us, that we might be shaped by the love and grace we find there. Amen.
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