“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly …” (Colossians 3:16 NKJV).
The word dwell in this verse means to inhabit and feel at home. I dwell or inhabit and feel at home in my house. That is where I live.
I recently cleaned out my kitchen cabinets, which turned into cleaning out my pantry, and spilled over into decluttering most of my house. I donated several boxes of things I no longer needed that were in the way of my feeling at home. Next, I decluttered duplicates, trash, and unused items. I organized what remained in an orderly fashion for natural, easy access.
Another part of decluttering and organizing my home is making others feel at home when they visit. I want it to be comfortable and in order.
My home is my dwelling place. I thought about this verse, and specifically the word dwell, in relation to my home and cleaning out my spiritual home, getting rid of the things I’m not meant to carry or lodge.
Dwelling vs Indwelling
When I look closer, it isn’t talking about where I dwell but what dwells inside me.
The word of Christ must inhabit and feel at home within me. What do I need to spiritually declutter and organize so that the word of Christ feels at home in me?
Scripture also gives this answer in the verses preceding verse sixteen. They tell us what to put off from our lives and what to put on. I think of putting off like decluttering and putting on like organizing.
To get our spiritual house in order and keep it that way, we must declutter anger, wrath, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying.
We remove that clutter and organize into our lives compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love.
Spiritual Organization
This is the spiritual organization allowing the word of Christ to dwell or feel at home in us.
Paul wrote these words in a letter to the church at Colossae. It’s not just for us individually, but also for the church. As the body of Christ, we must declutter and add what He provides.
I’ve discovered when I start decluttering and organizing, my husband will do some of his things also without even being asked. In the church, it also starts with us, and then the contagion of a heart where the word of Christ is dwelling spreads to others.
When was the last time you decluttered your physical home? What about your spiritual home? Does the word of Christ feel at home in your heart?
Meet Donna…
Donna Nabors is a native Texan married to Mr. Wonderful. She is a mom and grandma to six amazing grandchildren. Her desire is to point other women to the hope and truth found in God’s Word. Donna is the author of four books including Shattered Dreams to Treasured Truths: Transforming Life’s Disappointments.
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