Following Jesus is not a Popularity Contest
Read Colossians 2:16-19
Today’s Truth
In Colossians, Paul is warning the church in Colossae not to judge one another based on ceremonial religious laws. Religious people in Paul’s day clung to Old Testament tradition and added many rules of their own. If you did not precisely follow these burdensome laws, you were unfit to be part of their group.
In Colossians 2:17-19, Paul reminds the church that we find our identity in Christ, not our traditions or denominations. We are loved and accepted, not for what we do but because we’re His.
"Don’t tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions" (Colossians 18, MSG). Paul says people like this have lost touch with Jesus, the reason for our faith.
Discussion Questions
- Is there a group at work, school, or socially where you find yourself trying to fit in?
- How might you be compromising your relationship with Jesus to do so?
- Do you see cliques within the church? What’s one way you can help bridge those gaps in your family?
Application
Jesus fulfilled all the laws in the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17). He is the head of the church and the one who calls the shots. When we follow Jesus’ example and His lead, we might find ourselves outside others’ expectations. But we’ll always be right where we need to be.
