Lord, thank you for this new day and a new opportunity to celebrate the indwelling of your Holy Spirit and the power to live as you direct. Amen  

Colossians 3:1-5 (NRSV)

1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).

It looks like we have a choice. We can either seek the things above that are part of our new life in Christ or we can get mired down in the old life from which we have been rescued.

How hard a choice is that? Not too hard I think. Not when we realize that we have died and been raised with Christ so that we have been freed from the old earthly life filled with a lot of disappointment and pain. Thinking about the alternatives, there really is little motivation for us to return there.

We are new creatures and beginning right now we have a future with Jesus in His forever kingdom. It may not always feel that way because at this moment our real life is hidden with Christ in God. But one day very soon, we will be revealed with Him in glory.

Until that time as we live in the Kingdom where Jesus reigns, His Holy Spirit is remaking each of us into the people that God wants us to be. How can we ever thank God enough for this new life we have in Christ as we grow into the image of the king.

Lord, thank you for working in us by your Spirit so that our lives might conform to the way you direct. Thank you for your forgiveness so that when we lose sight of whose we are we have the power of the Spirit at our disposal to walk as you command. Amen

John