Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 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 3:12-17)

How in touch are we with our need to train our hearts toward the things of God and away from the things of the world? Another way to think about this is that we need to guard what we permit to enter our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 tells us: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” According to Jesus, our thoughts, words, and actions stem from what is nurtured in our heart (Luke 6:45; Mark 7:21). For Jesus, the heart serves as the command center for our entire being.

Therefore, we need to constantly monitor and calibrate our hearts with love for God and for others. But how? 

Scripture provides a wealth of guidance to address this question. Today's email highlights Paul's advice to the Colossians, in which he describes five habits that promote a healthy heart.

• Put on the love of Christ, a love evidenced through compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness.
• Invite the peace of Christ to direct your thoughts and emotions.
• Allow the Word of Christ to transform your life into a fully devoted follower of Christ.
• Always be thankful as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.
• And whatever you do or say, do it as if you were doing it for the Lord Jesus.

By integrating these habits into our daily lives, we invite the Holy Spirit to reside more completely within us, thus transforming ourselves into a dwelling place for God. 

The Lord’s peace be with you this weekend!

Joe