RESPONSIVE READING: COLOSSIANS 3 : 1-4, 12-15, 24
1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3. Your life is hid with Christ in God.
4. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
12. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
24. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
While reading this, I kept thinking how my life was before Plainfield. I rather unwittingly followed the reverse of each of the above statements, which when written out is quite certainly a recipe for a horrible life:
If your thought is lowered into the human mind, you desire only earthly things, and your mortality is plain to all. That mortal mind – the lies that bring death – will filter all your experiences, and those experiences will be miserable and unfulfilling. You will feel lost and alone, and will be hard-hearted, cruel, conceited, self-centered, quick-tempered, impatient, and prone to holding grudges and seeking revenge. Finding lack everywhere, you will hoard anything you value. You will feel at war with yourself constantly, and slowly lose all gratitude for life. Finally, mortal mind will give the consequence of its inheritance: Mortality.
Only turning to God saved me from all that, and brought me here. Learning Christian Science, and being a member of this church, it becomes clearer each day how God has given us what we need to live a life of purpose and joy.
I am grateful to this week’s lesson writer, and last week’s as well; it took that long for me to get this from Colossians 3. Thank you!