ARE THE WORDS OF BILLIONAIRES AND SUCCESSFUL COACHES THE NEW TRUTH?

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16 NIV)

Where do you look for inspiration?

Have you noticed that the words of billionaires, successful coaches, motivational speakers and world leaders, are taking centre stage as the new sources of inspiration? Many Christians now teach using the words of these icons as the reference point. Are we supposed to look to these icons for the truth? Are their words the truth we should live by? Have they been with the Father from the beginning and qualified to declare flawless reality? Is placing our confidence in the words of these icons a false confidence? On the other hand Jesus was with the Father from the beginning. The bible says of Jesus, "That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world." (John 1:9 NKJV) . "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17 NKJV). Jesus Himself said "...I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6 NKJV).

Jesus through His apostle gave us two commandments in Col 3:16. First, "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." Notice exactly what ought to dwell in us richly. It is not just any word but the Word of Christ. There are many supposedly good words from philosophers, motivational speakers and world leaders but it is not their word that ought to dwell in our hearts richly. Rather, it is the Word of Christ. If you are a Christian start majoring on the Word of Christ for your inspiration and not the words of man.

Second, "teach and admonish one another with all wisdom." What this simply means is that instructions and teachings should have the word of Christ as the knowledge that informs all other branches of knowledge. All branches of knowledge or wisdom ought to be shaped and judged by the Word of Christ. The Word of Christ should either confirm their ideas as right or condemn them as wrong. When this  happens, our lives will be controlled by the Holy Spirit over flowing into singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with grateful hearts.

Is it practicable?

Is what the bible commanding really practicable in real life? The answer is yes because we have been given the capacity to know and retain the Words of Christ or He would not have commanded it. The bible says He is just and righteous and will not demand what He did not make provisions for.

The one who made the heart designed it with His Word as the operating system. Every heart therefore ought to delight in the Word of Christ. If your heart is not delighting in the Word of God, there is nothing wrong with the Word, it is an indication that your heart is sick. When you are sick, your best food can taste awful. Disease like malaria is famous for numbing the taste buds and cause victims to vomit what ordinary would have been a delight. In the same way, when hearts are sick, they cannot delight in God's Word and the Word of Christ cannot dwell in them richly. The only way out is to get true diagnosis of the sickness of the heart and take appropriate medication for healing.

Second, it is the will of God for your heart to be filled with the word of God. The truth is that your heart will be filled with either the Word of God or words of men simply because words are the operating software of the heart. When the Word of God fills your heart, your thoughts and imaginations are directed by the Word into doing the will of God. God told Joshua "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8 NIV). David said "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Psalms 119:11 NIV). Those who do the will of God will outlast their problems, challenges, battles, difficulties and time. They are the overcomers just as the bible says "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." (1Jn 2:17 NIV).

Third, unlike the word of man, the Word of Christ is not mere ideas and theories, they are life giving Spirit. Jesus said "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63 NKJV). When the Word of Christ dwell richly in you, you experience the life of Christ that enables you to live supernaturally. Your means of expression will be the Word. The very life of Christ will manifest in all your works and words. People will see Christ in you. Your goal will be to please God.

However, substituting what appears to be 'good words' of icons for the Word of Christ is not the same thing as having the Word of Christ dwell richly in us. It is a counterfeit inspiration that will in the long run derail your faith. It will not achieve the same result as the Word of Christ in you. When the words of these icons are the ones that dwell in you richly, you will not be quickened by the Spirit of God but by the spirits behind these icons. Your life will resemble them and not Christ. Their words may sometimes lead to some form of earthly success but it will be at the cost of your soul. The only exception is when their words are products of the Word of Christ. Therefore when we hear these words, we must ask, which word of God supports their ideas? Sometimes an unbeliever may say things that are supported by God's word. In that case we still fix our attention on the Word of Christ, give credit to Christ for the idea and make occasional glances at how men and women have understood and rephrased them.

When the Word of Christ dwell in you richly

When the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, you will be ruled by the Spirit of God and naturally evaluate all of life from Christ perspective. When this happens, you are operating the mind of Christ. You are also judging all things as a spiritual man according to this scripture "The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one." (1 Corinthians 2:15 ESV). Your response to every situation in your life will be by the Spirit. Therefore the fruit of your life will be in line with the exhortation to "teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." This is the life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Written by Ifiok J. Ukobo

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