Spiritual Leadership - Colossians 3:5-9

3:5-6 - The changes that we make as disciples of Christ usually are going to be incremental, not big obvious displays of transformation. They won't be explosions on the stage of our community, but they will still be incredible. Paul begins to list attributes that "are upon the earth" meaning characteristics that are part of our human nature, mentioning, "fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." When I first read this, I thought that "idolatry" meant being lazy, and I disagreed because I could absolutely understand being jealous but have not been lazy at any point in my life because I have not been allowed to be. I've had to work hard my whole life because that's what I've had to do. But apparently what Paul actually means is that jealousy is idolatry in the sense that we change our main focus from God and what He grants us to material things and what we DON'T have. I really struggled with this issue last week, and honestly I think it was just because I was tired. This weekend call is really taking it out of me. I'm not upset that I live in a small condo, it works for us, I'm not upset that I don't have designer clothes or purses or anything like that, honestly I don't care about any of that stuff. I just was working so much and I was so tired that I just cried on the inside because I just wanted to rest and take care of my kids. It's been so hard for me to either be constantly gone or sleeping or grumpy because I'm tired, etc. I just want to raise my kids, that's all I want to do and I don't think that that's too much to ask. But I've been watching the show Everybody Hates Chris, and it's really helped put things in perspective for me because the parents and even the kids in that show work just as hard as me, in fact they work harder and get paid significantly less. It's not fair that my husband left me and my kids and now I have to raise them all by myself and work 3 jobs to pay the bills and deal with them as teenagers while they hate me. But most people who have lived on this planet have had to work harder than me for less than me because of circumstances that weren't fair to them. The dad on that show, played fabulously by Terry Crews, works like a dog to provide for his family, and is constantly harassed and sometimes fired because he's black. That's not fair, just like what happened to me wasn't fair. So I guess my lesson is, life's not fair, I'm not the first and I won't be the last person who has had to endure unjust circumstances. Like Jesus told me, he could give me anything he wanted to, but right now, I have what he wants me to have. I need to learn to be grateful for it and use it for the betterment of myself, my children, and my community. When I stop focusing on what I do have and start focusing on what I don't have, then that takes me away from the Spirit and makes my situation worse. Like when the people of Alma were enslaved by Amulon. Their burdens didn't go away or improve, but their ability to feel the loads upon their backs was increased. Their joy and happiness increased, even as their crushing responsibilities did not lessen, because they were focused on what they did have and not what they didn't have. Paul tells them that these characteristics of the natural man "which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience." I think this is why God is always thought of as being violent and angry and vengeful. Of course God is the ultimate psychologist so he's had Himself portrayed this way for a reason, but it's kind of hard to get passed all that in the beginning of a relationship with the Savior. 3:7-9 - Because Paul is talking to his audience about "your members" that are still in the throws of these humanistic attributes, he wants them to remember that while dealing with people who are less spiritually advanced then themselves, "ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them." Basically, he's reminding them, "cut these people some slack, because you were just living this lifestyle as well." It's good for us all to remember that we are no better than anyone else in our spiritual journey, some of us just have more experience. Including everyone, Paul adds, "now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth, lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds." My question is, why did Paul talk about the first group of sins relating to those who are still learning the gospel and this second group to everyone? Was it an accident, or was it on purpose? The first bit he talked about was people who are still mainly battling the carnal change over. He talked about physical acts such as fornication, idolatry, and uncleanness, among others. Those are mainly the physical behaviors that have to change and are usually focused on first because physical behaviors are the fruition and most obvious part of discipleship. In Paul's letter, he's counseling his audience to help guide the other, perhaps newer members away from these behaviors. But his counsels them to do so without anger, irritation, malice all of which have to do with guiding the others out of the old life and into the new one with patience, love, and the best of intentions. Paul also encourages to be examples without blasphemy, filthy communication, or lies. You would think that people who are the ones doing the guiding wouldn't be engaging in blasphemy or lies, but I think that it's easier to slip into these horrible conditions that we would imagine. If we are in charge of someone's spiritual journey, meaning we are their mentor or example or ecclesiastical leader, so much of the time that can go to our heads. We might start our wanting to help, but I've experienced that so many of these instances soon become overwhelming or exhausting. There are so may times when people who are making the transition lean on you so much that it just becomes an emotional drain on you. I don't like to put it that way, but it's true. Sometimes, we get overwhelmed with the needs of other people and we lie that we can't help them or suck them into our own problems. Sometimes we teach them doctrine that is not necessarily true or is our own interpretation, which would be blasphemy. Mostly I think Paul is reminding us to be honest, loving, and above all acting in accordance to the Spirit whenever we assume the role of someone else's spiritual advisor. And this includes our children, whenever we teach a class, or talk to someone about something spiritual. We need to always do it by the Spirit.