What does it mean to truly live under the lordship of Jesus Christ? It's a question that extends far beyond our Sunday morning worship or our private prayer time. The reality is that Christ's lordship touches every corner of our existence—from the most intimate relationships in our homes to the daily grind of our workplaces.

The apostle Paul, writing to believers in Colossae, understood this deeply. These were men and women who had received the true gospel but were being tempted to move beyond it, to add rules, experiences, and mystical knowledge to their faith. Paul's message to them was clear: You don't need to move beyond the gospel. There isn't anything more than Christ. You don't move beyond Jesus; you grow deeper in Him.

This truth forms the foundation for how we live out our faith in the everyday rhythms of life.

A New Identity in Christ

Paul reminds us that "in Christ there is no Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all" (Colossians 3:11). Our old identity—who we were before Christ—no longer defines us. This can be both freeing and disorienting. If we're no longer defined by our past, our culture, or our previous way of life, then who are we?

The answer is both simple and profound: we are Christ's. Our identity is found in Him, and this new identity reshapes how we relate to everyone around us.

The Marriage Mystery

When Scripture addresses wives and husbands, it's not merely giving social advice or reflecting cultural norms. These roles are God-ordained, designed to reflect something far greater than ourselves. In Ephesians 5:32, Paul calls marriage a "profound mystery" that refers to Christ and the church.

Think about that for a moment. When people look at a Christian marriage, they should see a living picture of Christ's relationship with His bride, the church.

For wives, biblical submission is not about silence, inferiority, or blindly following into sin. Rather, it's the willing posture of placing oneself under God's ordered authority, supporting and affirming the leadership He has established. It's primarily about submitting to God and His design, trusting Christ enough to follow His blueprint for marriage. In moments of disagreement, it means contributing wisdom and then willingly supporting the direction of one's husband as an act of worship to Christ.

For husbands, the command is equally challenging: "Love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). This is substitutionary, sacrificial love. Christ didn't love the church from a distance. He forsook His privilege in heaven, stepped into humanity, endured the pain and shame of the cross, and gave up His life to pay her debt.

This means husbands aren't called to ask, "Am I in charge?" but rather, "Am I laying down my life?" It's a nourishing, protective love where harshness has no place. When this kind of love is present, a wife can submit joyfully, not out of burden.

Parenting as Spiritual Formation

The parent-child relationship also falls under Christ's lordship. Children are called to obey their parents "in everything, for this pleases the Lord" (Colossians 3:20). Notice the focus: children obey not simply because their parents are worthy, but because it pleases Christ. Their obedience is an act of worship.

But parents, especially fathers, carry a weighty responsibility. The command is clear: "Do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged" (Colossians 3:21). Authority that includes the power to discipline must be exercised carefully. It's remarkably easy to crush a child through constant correction without encouragement.

Biblical encouragement doesn't mean pretending our children are perfect or letting them run wild. It means we don't just tell them what they shouldn't be—we encourage them toward something. We bring them up "in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Parents are tools of sanctification in their children's lives, helping them worship Christ as Lord through obedience.

Work as Worship

The workplace might seem like an unlikely setting for spiritual transformation, but Paul addresses it directly. In the Roman context, he spoke to bondservants—those who worked under the authority of masters, often to pay off debts. While our modern employer-employee relationship differs, the principles remain strikingly relevant.

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24).

This transforms everything. In an age of "quiet quitting" and "acting your wage," Scripture calls us to something radically different. We're not ultimately working for our employer or our paycheck. We're serving the Lord Christ. Our work is worship that reflects the lordship of Jesus in our lives.

No matter how menial the job, how unrewarding the task, or how small the paycheck, we're working for the inheritance—that hope laid up for us in heaven. Our effort, integrity, and attitude all reflect our view of Jesus as Lord.

Authority as Stewardship

Throughout our lives, we constantly move between positions of authority and submission. A wife may submit to her husband's leadership while exercising authority over her children. An employee may submit to a boss while managing others. Even children exercise authority when given responsibility for chores or caring for their belongings.

This remarkably mirrors Christ's own relationship with the Father. Jesus, the Son of God, submitted to the Father's will, becoming obedient even to death on a cross. As a result, He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

The crucial truth is this: authority is not ownership. It's stewardship to which we will give an account. Whether expressed as husbands, parents, bosses, or children managing their rooms, authority must be exercised with justice, fairness, and care—not for personal gain but as an act of worship.

The Foundation of Grace

As we step back and look at all these relationships—marriage, parenting, work, leadership—one truth emerges: Jesus is Lord over all. There is no part of life outside His authority.
And if we're honest, none of us has done this perfectly. We've all resisted His authority, insisted on our own way, fallen short in submission or leadership. That's sin. That's rebellion.

But here's the glorious truth: the same Christ who is Lord of all is also Savior. He obeyed perfectly. He died in our place. Anyone who turns to Him in repentance and faith—from the highest authority figure to a child caring for their room—will receive mercy.

If Jesus is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all. The question for each of us is simple but searching: Where am I resisting the lordship of Jesus Christ in my life?

The call is to surrender everything—our marriages, our families, our work, our authority, our submission—to His loving rule. Because in His lordship, we find not tyranny but freedom, not burden but joy, not loss but the inheritance of eternal life.

In the midst of our fractured world, where division seems to be the default setting and conflict erupts at the slightest provocation, there exists a radical vision for human community. It's not a utopian dream or wishful thinking—it's the reality God intends for His church. When believers truly pursue Christ together, something extraordinary happens: the church becomes the loving, joyful, thankful family of God.

When Family Gets Complicated

We all know how quickly family relationships can deteriorate. Words are spoken in haste, tensions rise, defenses go up, and suddenly the people we're supposed to love most become the last people we want to be around. It's a painful reality that doesn't spare even the family of God.

Churches, like families, can become battlegrounds. Why? Because when we stop pursuing Christ—when our desires and thoughts drift earthward rather than heavenward—we inevitably fall into earthly, sinful patterns of relating to one another.

The Radical Equality of the Cross

The Apostle Paul painted an astonishing picture of the early church in Colossae. This wasn't a homogeneous gathering of like-minded people from similar backgrounds. No, this was a beautifully diverse assembly: Greeks and Jews, the circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarians and Scythians, slaves and free people.

Think about that for a moment. Scythians were known as savage nomads, considered uncivilized and cruel. Jews and Greeks had centuries of mutual suspicion between them. The social chasm between slaves and free citizens was virtually unbridgeable in Roman society. Yet Paul declared boldly: "Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all."

What made the difference? Christ. Christ is everything for us, and Christ is in everyone who belongs to His church. Our old identities—our ethnic backgrounds, our religious pedigrees, our social standing—none of these define us anymore. We are chosen, holy, and beloved in Christ. Hidden in Him, we are seen by God not as what we used to be, but as what we now are in Jesus.

The Wardrobe of Love

Having put off anger, wrath, malice, slander, and lying, what are we to put on? Paul gives us a spiritual wardrobe that transforms how we relate to one another:

Compassionate hearts that feel deeply when our brothers and sisters hurt. Not a casual concern, but a gut-level sensitivity to one another's needs and struggles.

Kindness that actively seeks the good of others, even when it's inconvenient.

Humility that mirrors Christ, who didn't cling to His position with the Father but emptied Himself to become a servant, obedient even to death.

Meekness—the gentle effect of humility—that approaches others with tenderness, even when addressing difficult issues.

Patience that restrains our natural reactions to difficult, different, and even odd people. (And let's be honest, we're all odd to someone.)

All of this leads us to bear with one another and to forgive those with whom we have personal grievances. Not because it's easy or natural, but because we are the beneficiaries of Christ's compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience toward us. He forgave our sins, nailing our record of debt to His cross. The same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us, enabling us to love one another as He has loved us.
Above all these virtues, Paul says, put on love. Love is what binds everything together in perfect harmony—not a single melody line where everyone sings the same note, but a rich orchestral harmony where different instruments play different parts, creating something gorgeous together.

The Peace That Rules

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts," Paul writes. But what does this mean?
First, it's the shared knowledge of what Christ accomplished for all of us. We were all dead in our trespasses, and Christ made peace between us and God by satisfying His righteous wrath. God is now at peace with us—and that changes everything.

Second, it's the inward calm and tranquility we should enjoy because our lives are hidden with Christ at God's right hand. No matter what you're facing today, no matter how difficult your circumstances, God is at peace with you. There is nothing in this world, above this world, or beneath this world that can change that. You are loved with an unchanging, unfailing, unrelenting love.

The calmest people on the planet ought to be Christians.

Third, this peace provides the peaceful, calm, joyful culture for dealing with conflict and difficult decisions in the body of Christ. When we're all seeking things above, killing sin in our own lives, we can interact with one another on the same basis that Christ interacts with us.

The Posture of Gratitude

Three times in this passage, Paul mentions thankfulness. That's no accident. Thankfulness isn't natural—complaining is. But having received so much from Christ, understanding the peace we now have with God, we are called to become thankful people.

Thankfulness is more than looking thankful. It's the posture of the heart toward God in gratitude. And the true posture of our hearts is revealed when things don't go our way.
Joyful praise and thanksgiving is a sign of a healthy church—a church focused on things above, killing sin, and learning to love one another as God has loved them.

Life Centered on Christ's Word

When the word of Christ dwells in us richly, it becomes the inexhaustible resource for everything we need spiritually. The gospel of Jesus Christ takes up residence in us not as a guest, but as the master. We subjugate our word to His word, our desire to His desire, our thought to His thought, our will to His will.

This word even shapes our worship. The songs we sing should teach and admonish us, grounded in the gospel, biblically rich in their lyrics. We sing with joyful thanksgiving, letting the word of Christ fill our mouths and hearts.

Always. Only. Jesus

Everything we do—whether gathered on Sunday morning or scattered throughout the week—is to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus. Under His authority. According to His word. For His glory.

It is Always. Only. Jesus.

The degree to which we together pursue Christ will determine our family experience as a church. When we fix our eyes on Him, seek the things above, and allow His word to dwell richly in us, we become what He intends: a loving, joyful, thankful family that gives the world a taste of heaven on earth.

What are you chasing right now with your life?

Perhaps you've never considered yourself in active pursuit of anything. But here's the truth: none of us are idle. Our minds are never at rest. We're always thinking something, desiring something, pursuing something. The question isn't whether we're in pursuit—it's what we're pursuing.

Even pursuing "nothing" is pursuing something. When we claim we're not chasing anything, what we really mean is we're pursuing our own comfort, our ease, life arranged exactly as we want it. We're all in motion, always. The critical question is: in what direction?

The Foundation for Everything

The premise is simple yet profound: If Jesus is who Scripture declares Him to be—the one in whom "the whole fullness of God dwells bodily" (Colossians 2:9)—and if He did what the Bible says He did—nailing the record of our sin debt to His cross and bringing us forgiveness—then the Christian's life should be spent in pursuit of Christ.

Not occasionally. Not when convenient. But as the defining characteristic of our existence.
Colossians 3:1-2 gives us the roadmap: "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

Two commands. Two directions for our lives.

Seek the Things Above

The first command is to seek the things that are above. This isn't a one-time decision but an ongoing pursuit. The word "seek" means to pursue in order to obtain what the heart desires.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: desire drives pursuit. What you desire is what you seek.
So the question becomes painfully personal: Do you desire the righteous things above where Christ is seated? Or do you desire the unrighteous things below where humanity wallows in sin?

Given our still sin-affected minds and the relentless modern bombardment of temptation, we may answer this question multiple times in a single day. In any given moment, our hearts are tempted toward the things of this world. And we must choose: What does my heart desire? What am I pursuing? What do I want?

Set Your Mind on Things Above

The second command moves from desire to thought: "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

To set your mind on something means to concentrate on it, to comprehend it fully. We're called to concentrate on the things above where Christ is seated so we can understand who He is, what He has done for us, the righteousness He calls us to, and the resurrected life He enables us to live.

Here's why this matters: thoughts develop our perception. Our perception develops our attitude. Our attitude produces our words and actions.

You ultimately become whatever you concentrate on.

Just as "you are what you eat," you become what you desire and what you concentrate on. This is why these two commands stand at the threshold of practical Christian living. Before we can live differently, we must desire differently and think differently.

The Diagnostic Questions

How do we know what we're really pursuing? Four diagnostic questions reveal the truth:

1. What are you putting in your mind? What are you feeding your thoughts? More than anything else, what's going in?
2. What is the state of your mind? Is your mind filled with peace or anxiety? Is it stable or constantly fluctuating?
3. What is coming out of your mouth? Are your words encouraging, helpful, and joyful? Or bitter and angry?
4. What is displayed in your actions? When people observe your life, what do they conclude about you?

Work backwards through these questions, and you'll discover that the actions of your life, the words from your mouth, and the state of your mind all trace back to what you're putting in your mind—what you're seeking and concentrating on. Above or below. Heaven or earth.

Three Reasons to Pursue Things Above

Why should we live this way? Colossians 3:1-4 gives us three compelling reasons:

First, because you were raised together with Christ. When you believed in Christ, you died with Him. He put off your body of flesh. It still lingers until glory, but it no longer controls you. In Christ, you have freedom to overcome sin. Your desires should be set on Him above.

Second, because your life is hidden together with Christ. Your life is no longer at risk in this world. It's kept safe and secure with Christ in God, at the right hand of the Father. You couldn't be more secure. So why submit to the sinful desires of this world when this is your new reality?

Third, because you will appear together with Christ in glory. In Christ, the Father has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints. You've been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of light. Why desire the things of this sinful age when glory awaits you?

Killing Sin and Ceasing Sinful Activities

With the foundation laid, Colossians 3 turns intensely practical: "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5).

The language is stark. Kill earthly desires. Not manage them. Not reduce them. Kill them.
Why such strong language? Because sin, if not put to death immediately, will be coddled and ultimately bring death. Even for Christians, coddling sin kills relationships, marriages, joy, and brings hurt to people we never intended to harm. Sin is deadly. That's why it must be killed.

One way to begin killing sin is by cutting off its food supply. If we allow ourselves to continue seeing, hearing, and taking in the very things we know lead us down sinful paths, we're fools. Starve sin to death in the mind.

The Old Coat and the New

The word picture in Colossians 3:9-10 is of taking off a raggedy old coat and putting on a beautiful new one. We're to take that old self dominated by sin off and set it aside. We're to put on who we are in Christ—the new person we've become through His resurrection.
The old coat included anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk, and lying. These characterized our former life. But in Christ, we've put off the old self and put on the new self, "which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator" (Colossians 3:10).
As we kill sin and shift our focus heavenward, something amazing happens: the image of God begins to radiate in us.

Christ Is All

"Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all, and in all" (Colossians 3:11).

Whatever anyone's background—national, cultural, ethnic, societal, economic, or sinful—the death and resurrection of Christ makes saints out of sinners and enables them to live the resurrected life.

This is why the church gathers in the name of Christ. Not in the name of a leader, denomination, or tradition, but Christ alone. Because Christ is in all. Christ is all. Every believer is here because of and only because of Him.

Simplify Your Life in Christ

We live in a dizzying world of busyness. Work is busy. Our children's lives are busy. We fill retirement with endless activities. We even make church incredibly busy. But we need to simplify our lives in Christ. Because if we don't simplify, we won't accidentally find time to be in God's Word, to pray, to reflect on Scripture.

Consider your life. How much time do you spend with the Lord versus how much time you spend with the world? Make a commitment to simplifying your life to incorporate more of Jesus in your daily walk.

The resurrected life can only be lived in the power of the resurrected Christ. And He provides everything we need to live the life He has given us.

What are you pursuing today?