So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

Colossians 1:9-10

Knowledge of God’s will, along with spiritual wisdom and understanding, is necessary to live as bright lights in a dark world. But how do I get that?

When I met my husband, I often misunderstood his humor. He said things I took seriously and he was just being funny. It took me awhile to discern his nuances and that only happened as I spent time with him. For us, most of our relationship was long distance, so we communicated through letters. And I needed to read them in order to know his heart. (Yes, we really sent letters through the postal service. There was no email, texting or FaceTime.)

And that’s how it is with God. As we spend time with him we begin to understand his ways. Reading his letter to us, interacting with him through the Spirit, and walking in obedience to what we understand – all help us grow in our knowledge of who he is and how he wants us to live. And it enables us to live as bright lights, representing him well.

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:17

What keeps you from spending time with the Father? From reading his letter to you? From sitting to listen as he speaks?