Daily Devotion (April 10, 2025)
Colossians 2:8
“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”
Shallow superficial Christianity. Giving one’s life to God is more than every once in awhile attending a “worship service.” True faith in God is giving your life to God. It is dying to self. Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The Christian life is not merely about attending church; it is a journey of transformation, a surrender of personal desires to live in harmony with God’s will. This process is as natural as childbirth. A child is conceived in the mother’s womb, nurtured, and fed, growing steadily until it enters the world. The mother’s imprint is evident on the child. Even after birth, the child is not abandoned. The mother continues to provide care, nourishment, guidance, and correction, shaping the child into who they are meant to be and preparing them for what they are destined to accomplish.
Just as a child is not left to fend for itself after birth, Christians are continually shaped and guided by God’s Word, the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, and the community of faith, the church.
Discipleship is the nurturing process of the Christian. It begins in the conception of spiritual life, Salvation in Jesus Christ, and continues throughout life. Salvation is a dynamic process of God continually working in the Christians life.
I observe many parents focus solely on the secular education of their children. While learning the basics, like the ABCs, is certainly important, it only represents a small fraction of what children need to be taught. It is essential to impart the teachings of the whole word of God so that they grow spiritually and are prepared to enter Heaven. We never stop learning. Even the professors continually study and learn. From personal experience I know pastors and preachers do.