Day 55: Colossians 1:10

“so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”



So many of us try so hard to please God. Many of us have been trying from the beginning, not understanding that apart from Christ, we can’t be pleasing to Him. It’s not that just our sins are bad, but even our goodness is like “filthy rags” in front of God.


It shouldn’t come as a surprise. We have nothing to offer God that can put us in His good graces. Only by believing in the death, burial and resurrection of His Son can we be made right with God. Once we are right with God, we can begin to please Him.


This is where today’s passage comes in. Once we are Christians, our life can begin to mean something for the Kingdom of God. Until we believed, we were still fighting for the other side, even if we didn’t know it. Scary, huh?


Once we are believers, our lives can begin to advance the Kingdom of God. What pleases God in these circumstances? Paul says there are two things, and we need to be very careful about both of them, because at the core of who and what we are, they show us what we are to be doing with our time and resources.


First, we are to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. In other words, do what you know is right according to the way God commands it. Walk in a way that Jesus would have. Do the things that Jesus would have. When you do this you will be fully pleasing to God and bear fruit in all of your good works.


Stay there for a minute. Bearing fruit in your good works is what happens when you walk in a manner worthy of Jesus. It is a direct result. God brings about those results.


Here’s the second thing. God wants us to increase in the knowledge of God. Knowledge of God comes from two places. Learning about Him through His word, and Learning about Him through experiencing Him in your life. And that leads back to walking in a manner worthy of the Lord.


So, if you want to please God, walk like Jesus walked, and learn soak up the experience of God like a sponge.


CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: A Christian leader will seek to please God by living like Jesus and learning about God all they can.


Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Proverbs 1


Prayer: Father, help me to walk in a way that is pleasing to you. Make me more like Jesus, and help me to stay in Your word. In Christ’s name, amen.

Day 36: 1 John 4:9

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him”



Notice a very interesting thing that John is saying about why Jesus came into the world and what it says about God.


John says that Jesus came into the world so that we could live through Him, and that shows the love of God. What does that mean?


First, lets tackle that part about living through Jesus. I believe there are two undertones on “life” here. First, when we believe in Jesus Christ, we have eternal life. This is truly living. We no longer face an eternity separated from our Creator and Redeemer. Through Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death on the cross, we live.


Second, though, is an even more interesting note with implications in this life. Our life in Christ is different. It is more fulfilling, because it’s lived in tune with how God made the world; and there is purpose, because through Christ’s death and resurrection we are now free to serve God. This is living as well. In fact, if you read Colossians 3 you find that your life is “hidden” with Christ; people should no longer see you, but Jesus. When Jesus is revealed, Paul says there in Colossians, then you will be revealed again as well.


What both Paul and John are saying is that as a Christian, our life is now lived through Jesus. We have a new filter that we should put everything we do through: Jesus.


The Christian leader should ask themselves what makes a leader worth following. I would answer that it is this very principle: That they live their lives through Christ, rather than through themselves. We already tried living through ourselves, and it didn’t work so well. We are worth following because we no longer live for ourselves but for Jesus, and He knows how to live life so much better than us.


When people look at us they should be seeing Jesus. Our actions, our speech, and our leadership should just ooze Jesus. That’s what it means to live through Christ. It’s no longer our life, it’s no longer our power, and it’s no longer our way. It’s Jesus.


CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: The Christian leader lives their life through Christ, rather than themselves. This makes them a leader worth following.


Here are some verses to Meditate on Today: Colossians 3:1-17


Prayer: Father, help me to live my life through Jesus Christ. I belong to Him. I don’t want to do things my own way anymore. Make me a leader worth following. In Christ’s name, amen