Colossians 2:7- You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. (The Message Bible)
I have a niece who is a school teacher in Florida and she is getting ready as August approaches for her students who will be coming shortly. We in the north have a few more weeks but they will go fast. I didn’t love school as a kid but I was ok with it. Usually by the end of summer I was ready to start something new and see who was in my class and what my teacher would be like. I did love school once I got to college where I had more flexibility with my time and was meeting lots of new people and, as an English major, got to sit around and read a lot. After working summer jobs that consisted of repetitive manual labor, this was great stuff. Eventually though I had to think about how I could build a life after my college days were over. I was tempted, as many people continue to be today, to pursue a graduate degree because being a student at that level was so much fun and I could put off the decisions about life a while longer. Sooner or later we all have to take the stuff we have learned in school, whether that is academic skills or technical skills or people skills, and use what is helpful to build a life. That is what Paul is telling these folks in Colossae. They know the message. They’ve heard the teaching. Now it is time to “quit studying the subject and start living it.” So what about you? Is there a part of your faith you need to start living this week?
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 