“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” — Colossians 3:17
All. It's a simple word really, yet it encompasses so much—everything, in fact.
All. It’s the crux of the question this verse is asking, “Are you doing it ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus?”
All. It’s the word that’s been following me around these past several weeks—pulling back the curtains, plying up the floorboards, inspecting the foundations.
All. What about my personal all? All my words, all my actions, all my thoughts, all my motivations. I’ve been asking myself, “Why are you doing that?” and “Who is it for?” and “Is that okay?”
All. Every. Single. Thing. Not just “important” things or “spiritual” things, but the quiet things, the mundane things, the normal things. If I’m supposed to “do it all in the name of Jesus,” then all of it is equally significant. And yet, do I live like some of my “all” matters more than the rest?
All. After weeks of meditating on my all, this is what I’ve learned: all of it really does matter. And those mundane, normal, insignificant things maybe matter the most. Why? They are the true litmus test of my heart. My private thoughts, my hidden motivations, my most solitary or anonymous moments are the very things that reveal the truest answer to the question,
“Am I doing it all in the name of the Lord Jesus?”
This is what our verse is asking me. And it’s what it’s asking you too…if you’ll let it. So, will you? Will you let this verse pull back your curtains, pry up your floorboards, and inspect your foundations? As you memorize it and meditate on it, will you let God reveal what’s in your own heart and consider how you can live more for Jesus? I hope you will. And here's the strange result (hint: it’s not despair or shame), it’s actually gratitude. Like our verse tells us, it leads your heart to give “thanks to God the Father through [Jesus].” (For more on that, listen to this week’s Dwell Differently Podcast!)
Want to dive even deeper into this verse? Join me in this month’s Bible study. I’ll lead you through Scripture, prayers, personal reflections, and other activities to help you discover more about who you are in Jesus and how you can give more of your all to him. Give it a try this month for free with the code: AUGUSTFREE.
