That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Colossians 1:9-11).
There’s so much to learn from this prayer of the Spirit through the Apostle Paul. It gives us an idea of a true and balanced Christian life—an excellent life. It says that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.
That’s extraordinary; it reveals God’s will for you as a Christian. He wants your daily life to be worthy of Him—walking in His righteousness and pleasing Him in all things.
Jesus always pleased the Father; He said in John 8:9, “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”
It should be your life’s work to always and only do those things that please the Father. Along with this, he says, “being fruitful in every good work.”
Think about the kind of life where you’re fruitful in every good work. That’s what we have in Christ Jesus—an excellent life. It reminds of the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 1:3: “he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
That’s not all, as you’re walking worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in all things, and fruitful in every good work, He also wants you to increase in the knowledge of God.
There are people who, even though they are doing well in their work, aren’t increasing in the knowledge of God. No! God wants your life to be balanced.
Don’t let it be that your job or business distracts you from giving time to pray, study the Scriptures, and grow in the things of God.
A true and balanced Christian life is walking in righteousness, pleasing the Lord in all things, fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Your life is the summation of the words that come out of you. The importance of framing your life with your words can never be overemphasized. That’s the most beautiful natural gift from God to man—the gift of words—the ability to speak and make words.
Life produces for you a harvest of what you say, and here, there’s no middle ground.
As a Christian, you must keep talking; if you want to live in health, talk health. If you want to walk in righteousness and always produce works of righteousness, then talk righteousness; every so often, consciously declare, “I’m the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I produce works and fruits of righteousness.”
You have to say it, to live it. You might say, “What if I haven’t been saying anything? What will my life be like?” You’ll still have a harvest; unfortunately, it will be a harvest of nothing.
So many people live a nothing life.
For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh (2 Corinthians 4:11).
Christianity is the revelation of Christ in you, the manifestation of the Christ-life in you; this isn’t about “imitating” Christ. It’s so important that you understand this. Christianity isn’t the imitation of Christ, but living the Christ-life. Christ lives in you; He’s your life (Colossians 3:3).
Colossians 1:26-27 says, “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Christ revealed in you: this is God’s dream; this is Christianity! You’re in Christ; He’s in you. You’re the revelation of His righteousness, glory, and grace.
No wonder the Word says His intent is to unveil His manifold wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, through the Church (Ephesians 3:10). True spiritual growth is determined by the extent to which Christ is revealed or manifested in and through you. The revelation of Christ in us is essentially the understanding and expression of His character, His life, and glory through us.
For example, as a Christian, when you walk in love, it’s not just because you made an effort to love; it’s the manifestation of the life of Christ in you. That outward show of love and kindness that others experience from you is the manifestation of the life and nature of Christ in your spirit.
This is what God wants: Christ manifested in you; Christ alive in you, working through you, touching and changing lives through you. Whatever He needs to do on earth today is through you. You’re His outstretched arm.
Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches….” The branches are the fruit-producing part of the vine. Thus, you reveal the glory and beauty of Christ. You manifest His life and reveal His righteousness.
A world-renowned artist once said, “The greatest tragedy is not in failing to paint a masterpiece, but in never discovering the canvas you were created to paint on.” How true this is of life!
Many people drift through existence, chasing shadows and pursuing ambitions that were never theirs in the first place. Yet, as God’s child, you’re not called to guess your way through life. You were created to live in the very centre of God’s purpose—flourishing in His divine plan for you.
The Scriptures reveal that you were predestined to a glorious life in Christ: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29 NKJV).
God designed you for alignment with His will, to express His glory, and to manifest His excellence in everything you do.
Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC) makes it clearer: “For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus…that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us.”
Isn’t that beautiful? There’s a life already mapped out for you—a life of victory, prosperity, health, righteousness, and impact. This is the “good life” that Christ purchased for you.
Like Epaphras, who laboured in prayer for the Colossians, the Spirit of God continually draws you to not only know but also to stand perfect and complete in the will of God.
How? By meditating on the Word and fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit. As you do, your spirit is synchronised with God’s thoughts.
Through the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, you’re trained to know and walk in God’s divine provisions; your discernment sharpens, and your decisions reflect heaven’s interests and intent.
Even now, declare that you’re perfect and complete in all the will of God. This is your testimony!
You’re not ordinary; you’re God’s workmanship, fashioned for excellence, designed to reign, and ordained to walk in the very paths He has prepared.
When you were born again, it wasn’t your physical body that was born again; it was your spirit—the inward man. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; that new creation is the inward man.
The divine nature—the God life—is in your human spirit. Therefore, you’re to live from inside out; function from your inward man. The way to do this is to keep your focus on the Word of God, refusing to be moved by the dictates of your physical senses.
For example, the doctors may have diagnosed some ailment in your physical body, but your body is not you; it’s your domicile, the house where the “real you,” your spirit, lives. Your real person is the recreated human spirit, and he’s fashioned after the image of Christ. Therefore, there’s no sickness, weakness, limitation, imperfection, or barrenness of any kind in your spirit.
The life of faith to which we’ve been called is a call to live from inside out. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal [that means subject to change]; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” It’s only by faith that you “look” at things which your natural senses can’t perceive.
Those who haven’t learnt to function from their spirits are the ones dominated by natural forces and circumstances.
Don’t let your focus be on what’s going on in your outward man; pay attention to your spirit. God has deposited in your spirit everything you require to live a successful and victorious life. Health, prosperity, victory, success, excellence, and every good thing in Christ Jesus are in your spirit! Activate them from within; look inwards, and live from inside out. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good…” (Luke 6:45).
-GSW-